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Old 2nd September 2019, 16:58   #556
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5 years up!

A few days ago while I was renewing the insurance of my Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, I was wondering about the actual date on which I had purchased the motorcycle. I could not locate any emails or messages from that day on my phone. Then while reading through the first page of this thread I realized that I had fortunately written down the date on which I had taken delivery of the motorycle. It was the 2nd of September 2014 which means that today marks exactly 5 years since I had taken delivery of the motorcycle.

Out of habit, I started crunching the numbers on the file that I use to track the total mileage on the Continental GT 535. Ever since I got a second motorcycle last year, my riding of the Continental GT 535 has come down by quite a bit since I try to do justice to both bikes. I think these numbers put a definitive end to all my plans of justifying a third motorcycle to the Home Minister!

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In 5 years, the bike has done a shade under 24,500 kms and outside of the visual elements, the bike feels like it has aged a little mechanically. It still feels lovely to ride though the newer 650s have brought so much real world performance to our fingertips that they make the older launches look like relics from the past. Honestly the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 does look like a very tempting proposition but the resale value of the Continental GT 535 is quite poor and it is a bike that I really do enjoy riding. So it really isnt worth selling the Continental GT 535 at the current bargain basement prices to buy the Interceptor 650.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-img20150301wa0024.jpg
Back in 2015

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p1302717-large.jpg
Back in 2016

When I look back at my choices back in 2014 - the super smooth Suzuki Inazuma, the manic KTM Duke 390 and the wild card Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, I know that I made the right choice. We are fortunate enough to buy motorcycles because we enjoy motorcycling. We love the open roads, the twisties, the offroad excursions, the experiences and encounters that we have on our group rides and more. We buy the motorcycle that we can afford and the one which we can connect with. And that connection is something that I definitely felt with the Continental GT 535.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-img_4369-large.jpg
Back in 2017

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-img_8993.jpg
Back in 2018

These days, with the internet at our finger tips, it is easy to get dragged into stereotyping motorcycles even without seeing them, just on the basis of their power output or weight and pricing. Similarly it is easy to get hypnotised by the bikes with the most exotic brand name or the best 0-60 times or highest horsepower numbers. But motorcycling is more than that. And that brings me to what the last 5 years of my motorcycling memories on the Continental GT 535 have been largely about.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190119_121222_hdr-large.jpg
In 2019

As I look back on my ownership of the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, what I remember the most is that I have had the good fortune of sharing many group rides with a great bunch of similar minded bikers. We have had bikers of all ages, shapes and sizes from all parts of the country be a part of the memorable weekend rides around Bangalore and for overnight rides. These rides were our escape, those few hours that we snatched out on the highways and village roads kept us ticking through the monotony of the weekly rat race and the inherent pressures of our lives. We bid farewell to old motorcycles and warmly welcomed new ones straight from the showrooms or other people's garages into what felt like a big biking family. What is all this worth if we dont have our friends to celebrate it with? And so while this day is a day to remember and commemorate 5 years of ownership of the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, this is more importantly a day for me to celebrate the friendships that have come out of owning this lovely motorcycle.
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Old 5th September 2019, 12:45   #557
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Congratulations on completing 5 years with the yellow beauty! After the wax and polish, it looks much fresh as well!

I have been contemplating putting the clip-ons back on the bike. Given that the weather is going to cool down in the next couple of months, I might revert from the Himalayan handlebar set up once I’m back from my trip back home for Onam.

Ride Safe,
R-Six
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Old 5th September 2019, 14:12   #558
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Re: 5 years up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
In 5 years, the bike has done a shade under 24,500 kms and outside of the visual elements, the bike feels like it has aged a little mechanically. It still feels lovely to ride though the newer 650s have brought so much real world performance to our fingertips that they make the older launches look like relics from the past. Honestly the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 does look like a very tempting proposition but the resale value of the Continental GT 535 is quite poor and it is a bike that I really do enjoy riding. So it really isnt worth selling the Continental GT 535 at the current bargain basement prices to buy the Interceptor 650.

I've been trying to buy a used Continental GT in Chennai, without much luck. Maybe the current owners, like you, are refusing to sell (). I test drove the INT 650 and kinda felt 'meh' - I know many will bash me for this, but I guess it's purely a subjective feel coming from my previous 'viby' STD 350s. Been looking for used ones for the past 3 months and I don't know if I can wait any longer. Maybe will bite the bullet and open up my wallet for the GT650. Well, the point is I may not be doing many highway rides to justify this purchase. And, I'm not sure what other options I have now. I've been seriously considering the Himalayan as well, but would like it to have a bit more power.



At the end of the day, I'm stuck with too few options.
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Old 7th September 2019, 15:33   #559
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Re: 5 years up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by R-Six View Post
Congratulations on completing 5 years with the yellow beauty! After the wax and polish, it looks much fresh as well!

I have been contemplating putting the clip-ons back on the bike. Given that the weather is going to cool down in the next couple of months, I might revert from the Himalayan handlebar set up once I’m back from my trip back home for Onam.
Thanks R-Six, dont forget to bring your umbrella and raincoat for this trip. Its been raining every day! Happy Onam in advance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gigatech2006 View Post
I've been trying to buy a used Continental GT in Chennai, without much luck. Maybe the current owners, like you, are refusing to sell (). I test drove the INT 650 and kinda felt 'meh' - I know many will bash me for this, but I guess it's purely a subjective feel coming from my previous 'viby' STD 350s. Been looking for used ones for the past 3 months and I don't know if I can wait any longer. Maybe will bite the bullet and open up my wallet for the GT650. Well, the point is I may not be doing many highway rides to justify this purchase. And, I'm not sure what other options I have now. I've been seriously considering the Himalayan as well, but would like it to have a bit more power.
Gigatech2006, I can fully understand your conundrum. I will put a word out in the Continental GT 535 owners groups and let you know if there are any bikes in Chennai that are up for sale. Honestly you cant go wrong with either the GT 650 or the GT 535. But since you prefer the 535, it might make sense to wait a few more months.
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Old 8th September 2019, 21:25   #560
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Re: 5 years up!

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Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
I will put a word out in the Continental GT 535 owners groups and let you know if there are any bikes in Chennai that are up for sale.
Thanks My friend. Much appreciated. Can’t wait to get my hands on the 535. I’ve given myself 14 more days, after which I’m gonna buy the Himalayan or the 650. Hopefully, we get to hear from your whatsapp group.
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Old 11th September 2019, 21:58   #561
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Quick ride to Andhakaranazhi beach

Ive been planning on going for a day long ride for quite some time now but the temperamental weather has been a downer of sorts. A half an hour after you think that you finally have a nice sunny day ahead of you, the skies inevitably become fully overcast and the rain then proceeds to belt down with an intensity and fury that makes you wonder if you had imagined the hot sun and clear skies. So my recent riding has largely been restricted to the nearby beaches in the evenings, as chronicled on this ownership thread.

One beach that I have crossed quite a few times but never really explored was the one in Andhakaranazhi (talk about a tongue twister!). This is a unique place because it has a naturally created large horse shoe shaped bay of sorts where you often finds boats and the local people trying their luck with fishing. There is also a large lighthouse which we unfortunately cannot enter. With a relatively clear evening sky and roads that were strangely bereft of traffic prior to Onam, I did a quick beach ride and eventually spent some time at the Andhakaranazhi beach.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190910_164147_hdr.jpg
Taking a quick breather while I explore some trails

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190910_170741_hdr-large.jpg
Do note the fishing nets in the background

As compared to some of the other beaches that I have visited recently, this one has some shops for refreshments and there is a police outpost as well. Im not sure if it was the tide or the sea floors depth but the waves were patterned rather unusually as you can see from the photographs.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190910_171353_hdr-large.jpg
Interesting overlapping pattern in the waves

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190910_171530_hdr.jpg
The entry to the U shaped bay is seen towards the right

Since the coastal roads were largely empty and people were in the Onam spirit, I was able to ride the motorcycle with a little more ahem enthusiasm that my usually sedate riding approach. On these roads, the Continental GT 535, with its abundant mid range, was a hoot to ride. I am pretty sure that I didnt cross 75 kmph even once but it was still the most enjoyable ride that Ive had in a long time. It just goes to show that you dont always need to be doing over 150 kmph or have at least 150 hp at your disposal to have fun on two wheels.

Mileage : For the fifth time in a row, I topped up the motorcycle from the IOCL petrol pump on Durbar Hall road. The results havent been consistent, I got a mileage of 44.49 kmpl with my usual riding conditions as compared to the figures in the twenties on all the other instances. This time, the mileage figures were once again back to normal so the 44.49 kmpl will remain an unexplained anomaly. Distance covered : 100.7 kms. Petrol consumed : 3.52 litres. Mileage: 28.61 kmpl. Mileage since day 1 remains unchanged at 27.60 kmpl.
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Old 16th September 2019, 00:03   #562
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Ride to Allepey Beach

I managed to squeeze in a ride to Allepey beach since my planned ride to a nearby dam didnt work out. I wanted to explore a beach that I hadnt been to but after riding continuously through my favourite road, I eventually realized that I was close enough to Allepey and that I might as well head there instead. Thanks to the holidays, the beach had a good number of families enjoying the lovely weather and strong sea and it was nice to see the children especially, have a great time running and jumping into the incoming waves.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190914_163715_hdr.jpg

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190914_164811_hdr.jpg

Returning from Allepey was a bit of an adventure of sorts. After exploring some inside roads, I somehow found myself at a level crossing and I couldnt remember the last time that I had gotten stuck at a level crossing while on a bike ride. After making my way back to the main highway, I realized that the traffic was too crazy and I ventured off quickly to my coastal road only to find myself caught at another level crossing further down the road. What are the odds of that happening?

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190914_170501_hdr-large.jpg
Twice in one day, jeez!

Fortunately it was smooth sailing from there and I kept riding till I stopped for a quick break to enjoy the sunset from the U shaped bay at Andhakaranazhi beach that I mentioned in my last post. What I would give to be able to enjoy the sunset from that point every single day, sigh!

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190914_175638_hdr.jpg
What a lovely view!

Anyways, once I was back in the city, I headed to AutoQueen at Kaloor to get a mobile holder fixed on the bike. They have the RAM mount that costs Rs 4,400 as well as a more pocket friendly and popular option that costs Rs 500. I opted for the latter and am quite happy with the quality of the holder, given the price.

While fixing the holder, one of the shop's friendly young staff noticed the ugly black mark on the right side of the bike's tank that has been an eye sore for the last couple of years. This mark had mysteriously appeared one day in the office parking lot at a time when some construction work was going on and a large tractor was employed to carry a lot of raw material through the parking lot. I am sure that this mark and dent were gifted onto my bike when the tractor had reversed through the parking lot straight into my bike. I had tried all sorts of cleaning tricks over the years but the large blemish (transfer of black paint onto the tank) proved to be too stubborn for my efforts and never reduced by a bit. The young staff member pulled out a small bottle of 3M Finesse It Marine Paste and applied it to the tank before wiping it clean and would you believe it, the black paint started to come off slowly but steadily. In a few minutes, I couldnt believe my eyes and the tank was bereft of all the unsightly black paint. It was a late Onam miracle!

On further research, it appears as though the product is quite abrasive in nature and so I need to take a closer look at the tank and maybe resort to another round of washing and waxing, if required. After all this, I really cant decide if I like the bike as it is now or if I preferred it with the distinct mark on the tank that was like a battle scar of sorts. Meanwhile, the Continental GT 535 moves closer to the 25,000 km mark but it has come at the expense of the riding time on my other motorcycle.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-gggggg-large.jpeg
Supposedly that's me on my other motorcycle. Or maybe it's just a picture off the interwebs. Who knows?

Mileage : For the sixth time in a row, I topped up the motorcycle from the IOCL petrol pump on Durbar Hall road. This time, I was expecting the mileage to be close to the 31 - 33 kmpl mark but the bike has more than pleasantly surprised me with a much higher figure. Distance covered : 131.1 kms. Petrol consumed : 3.39 litres. Mileage: 38.67 kmpl. Mileage since day 1 trickles upwards to at 27.65 kmpl.
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Old 28th September 2019, 16:23   #563
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

MODS - kindly delete my posts. Screwed up while uploading the image.



Look what I got...

After a lot of thought I decided that I’m not ready for the twins yet. Family and other financial commitments wouldn’t have allowed me to enjoy the twins. Plus I know for sure that I’m not gonna do any long rides anytime soon. So, decided to grab this when it was available.
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-fullsizeoutput_7.jpeg  


Last edited by gigatech2006 : 28th September 2019 at 16:42. Reason: abnoxious image size
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Old 30th September 2019, 21:50   #564
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Quote:
Originally Posted by gigatech2006 View Post
Look what I got...

After a lot of thought I decided that I’m not ready for the twins yet. Family and other financial commitments wouldn’t have allowed me to enjoy the twins. Plus I know for sure that I’m not gonna do any long rides anytime soon. So, decided to grab this when it was available.
Gigatech, congratulations! While the 650s are better engineered bikes for sure, given your usage, the GT 535 is just about perfect. The forest green is a lovely shade and I wish it was one of the available colours when the motorcycle was originally launched. Im glad that you were finally able to get a good motorcycle and seal the deal. Do share more details about the buying experience and initial feedback on the motorcycle as it will help other prospective buyers as well. And yes, more pictures please.
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Old 1st October 2019, 01:07   #565
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Quote:
Originally Posted by gigatech2006 View Post
MODS - kindly delete my posts. Screwed up while uploading the image.



Look what I got...

After a lot of thought I decided that I’m not ready for the twins yet. Family and other financial commitments wouldn’t have allowed me to enjoy the twins. Plus I know for sure that I’m not gonna do any long rides anytime soon. So, decided to grab this when it was available.
That's exactly my story, hence I too picked up a CGT535 (in May'19) which looks so much better than the CGT650 IMHO. I am absolutely in love with it and the irony is that I still don't like REs except this one beautiful piece of art. It's just perfect.
Attached Thumbnails
Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-screenshot_20191001003943__01.jpg  

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-img_20190824_171237_232.jpg  

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Old 1st October 2019, 11:32   #566
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
Gigatech, congratulations! While the 650s are better engineered bikes for sure, given your usage, the GT 535 is just about perfect. The forest green is a lovely shade and I wish it was one of the available colours when the motorcycle was originally launched. Im glad that you were finally able to get a good motorcycle and seal the deal. Do share more details about the buying experience and initial feedback on the motorcycle as it will help other prospective buyers as well. And yes, more pictures please.

No doubt- the new 650s are fantastic. Great hardware when compared to the 535. However, 535s are still very good value for money. And, it's fun! I wouldn't take this on long rides and that's not what I'm looking to do with this. This will be a simple fun machine for the weekend rides covering about a 100kms. Nothing more.


One question- if I go over the white markers on the road, the bike has a skittish feeling... it just doesn't want to go over them naturally, but want to get away from the markers. Is this normal? I checked the tire treads and they look deep enough for me for traction. Thinking of changing it to CEAT ones in a few months.



Quote:
Originally Posted by wrongturn View Post
That's exactly my story, hence I too picked up a CGT535 (in May'19) which looks so much better than the CGT650 IMHO. I am absolutely in love with it and the irony is that I still don't like REs except this one beautiful piece of art. It's just perfect.

Great pics. Nicely maintained. Did you get the wheels painted? Or bought the new ones that go with the 650? What tires are you currently on?
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Old 1st October 2019, 12:13   #567
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Quote:
Originally Posted by gigatech2006 View Post

One question- if I go over the white markers on the road, the bike has a skittish feeling... it just doesn't want to go over them naturally, but want to get away from the markers. Is this normal? I checked the tire treads and they look deep enough for me for traction. Thinking of changing it to CEAT ones in a few months.
Congratulations on the acquisition. Regarding the skittish feeling, did you check the tyre air pressure? I suspect it might be well above the recommended value.
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Old 1st October 2019, 12:33   #568
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

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Originally Posted by gigatech2006 View Post
One question- if I go over the white markers on the road, the bike has a skittish feeling. Is this normal?
Yes, this is normal for white markers. Don't see a problem with tyres, any bike will behave same way if ridden on white markers, make a conscious effort to move away from white markers.
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Old 1st October 2019, 16:12   #569
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

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Originally Posted by sukiwa View Post
Yes, this is normal for white markers. Don't see a problem with tyres, any bike will behave same way if ridden on white markers, make a conscious effort to move away from white markers.

Yeah. But the skittish character is way too amplified. I'm coming from a STD 350 and I go over the same roads and on markers (can't say the same markers ). Probably the feedback on the GT is a bit too much given the crouched position and stiff suspension. Maybe, I'll get used to it.



Btw, does anyone know of a good seat cover/lining shop in Chennai? I'd want to cloth the seat in dark tan brown to suit the green - that's the same color that I have for the single seat and boy ain't it classy!
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Old 1st October 2019, 20:43   #570
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25,000 kms up

This last weekend has seen the Continental GT 535 do hundreds of kilometers of highway riding, a great time in my favourite twisties, a tiring bit of offroading (that made me wish I had a properly built Xpulse or even better, a VStrom 250) and an unexpected ending to the whole journey to top it all off. In the process the bike ended up crossing the 25,000 kilometer mark as well but stay tuned for the full updates from the 3 day ride to Yercaud.

I got to meet some wonderful TBHPians including n_aditya (who Ive known for the last decade at least!), ashwinprakas (who I was meeting for the first time and who incidentally celebrated his birthday a few days ago) and deepfreak15 (who drove from Salem to Yercaud to meet us!). It was indeed wonderful to meet and spend time with all of them over the weekend.

Since we had a bunch of enthusiastic and talented photographers around, I made the most of the opportunity and got a few pictures of me on the bike.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-dsc_3808.jpg-large.jpeg

Quote:
Originally Posted by wrongturn View Post
That's exactly my story, hence I too picked up a CGT535 (in May'19) which looks so much better than the CGT650 IMHO. I am absolutely in love with it and the irony is that I still don't like REs except this one beautiful piece of art. It's just perfect.
Your bike looks lovely with the blackened out side panels and aggressive rear tire. Is that a Ralco? I too was never a fan of any of the Royal Enfield bikes until the GT535 was launched and I loved it ever since I first test rode it. 5 years later, I am glad that I went the Royal Enfield way.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gigatech2006 View Post
One question- if I go over the white markers on the road, the bike has a skittish feeling... it just doesn't want to go over them naturally, but want to get away from the markers. Is this normal? I checked the tire treads and they look deep enough for me for traction. Thinking of changing it to CEAT ones in a few months.
You will feel it slightly, I think it has to do with the nature of the Pirelli Sport Demon tires (I am assuming that you are running the PSDs). As rakesh_r suggested, do check the tire pressures. It should be 20 PSI at the front and 30 PSI at the rear. Most petrol pump attendants just put ~ 28 PSI for the front and ~ 33 PSI for the rear. I would suggest you also check out the Timsun tires if you are looking for a change. You should get them in stock sizes unlike the Ceats where you have to downsize a bit for the rear tire.
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