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Old 20th September 2014, 19:26   #61
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

I will update this thread very soon with detailed pictures of the bike, till then I am afraid this is all I have. I clicked this while visiting the RE showroom in K R Puram.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2014918165430-medium.jpg
Hold on, freedom is but a cheque book away

Quote:
Originally Posted by tharian View Post
Here you go..
RRPs Conti exhaust. Looks like it's based on the megaphone which are the ones I've seen on the Conti's abroad.
I started doing some online research on RRP's offering which is when things started getting interesting. On the 28th of August they have posted the photo which you have shared of the Continental GT with a megaphone exhaust (though they have listed it as a prototype). I found a video on youtube which had a yellow GT with a different exhaust from RRP. RRP has posted the same on their facebook page on the 8th.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-yt-medium.jpg
Yellow GT with non megaphone RRP exhaust


Here is a picture from RRP's facebook page of a DS 500 with the same exhaust as the one on the yellow GT above.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-rrp-medium.jpg
DS 500 with RRP exhaust

I will call them up this week to find out more.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ArizonaJim View Post
The following will be a great bore to anyone who knows how motorcycles work.
One trick that can help to get the transmission into neutral is to shift into first gear while the motorcycle is still moving and then shift it into neutral before it comes to a stop.
Thanks ArizonaJim, I think I have started to get a picture of how it works though Im sure what I dont know exceeds what I do. I try to shift into neutral before coasting to a stop.

Last edited by neil.jericho : 20th September 2014 at 19:29. Reason: Correction
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Old 20th September 2014, 20:16   #62
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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
I will update this thread very soon with detailed pictures of the bike, till then I am afraid this is all I have.I started doing some online research on RRP's offering which is when things
Did you like how that exhaust looks on the Conti?Looks like that same Conti has had his rear mudguard flap(is that what its called?)removed.Looks good that way.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ArizonaJim View Post
The following will be a great bore to anyone who knows how motorcycles work.
...
Off Topic

I was wondering what might be the cause of this intermittent slip I've been experiencing on my motorcycle.Its like say I'm in top gear but at relatively low speeds(30Kmph),upon acceleration,just before I hit that sweet zone in of that gear,it slips.Mostly just once and then it goes away.

Does it have anything to do with the quality of the oil that I've put in?Since it seems like its only happening at heavy loads.
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Old 21st September 2014, 00:25   #63
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

I hate to go off topic any further than I already have but your question does touch on how to use the transmission on a Royal Enfield.

I don't know why your transmission "slips" during acceleration but I did some quick calculations to determine engine speed at 30 kmph (18.6 mph) in top gear.

Assuming the same rear wheel diameter and primary drive ratio as my G5 (5th gear is a 1:1 ratio) your engine is running at about 560 rpm at that speed.

This is about half the speed that a fuel injected UCE engine should idle at.

Maybe you have an old iron barrel that idles at a slower speed than the FI, UCE but even for that engine, riding at such a low engine speed is not good for it.

Accelerating from that speed in 5th gear will "lug" the engine. Lugging is a term for overloading the engine. It can cause pre-ignition which leads to a damaged piston and overstressed main and rod bearings.
This pre-ignition, where the air/fuel mixture fires before it should can cause a momentary "jerk" or "stumble" that could be interpreted as "slipping".

Although the Royal Enfield engine is a long stroke, slow running by modern standards engine, IMO it should never be asked to accelerate from very low speeds in top gear.
In fact, I cannot condone even riding a Royal Enfield in 5th gear at such a low speed. I wouldn't go any lower than 3rd gear.

Try shifting down to at least 3rd gear or better yet, 2nd gear when you wish to accelerate from 30kmph. I suspect your "slipping" will vanish and your engine will be much happier.

Last edited by ArizonaJim : 21st September 2014 at 00:29.
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Old 21st September 2014, 10:48   #64
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ArizonaJim View Post
In fact, I cannot condone even riding a Royal Enfield in 5th gear at such a low speed. I wouldn't go any lower than 3rd gear.

Try shifting down to at least 3rd gear or better yet, 2nd gear when you wish to accelerate from 30kmph. I suspect your "slipping" will vanish and your engine will be much happier.


Jim, I fully agree with you.

But its easier said than done. We Indians as a lot hate "down shifting" be it on two wheels or on 4 wheels.

This has been ingrained in our mindset by an older generation "drivers" who rightly believed that ambling along in the top gear gives the ultimate milage and that is the "best driving" (luckly I don't belong to that school, I used to get rapped on the knuckles if I forget a down shift).

Best Regards & Drive/Ride Safe

Ram

Last edited by Samurai : 6th June 2015 at 23:30. Reason: dangerous typo :)
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Old 22nd September 2014, 11:27   #65
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Quote:
Originally Posted by r_nairtvm View Post
(luckly I don't belong to that school, I used to get rapped on the knuckles if I forget a down shift).
Luckily (or unluckily - per my wallet which is usually lighter than other owners of exactly the same vehicle) neither am I.

I belong to the "instant noodles" school of motoring - more than the "dum gosht" (meat marinated and cooked overnight) one ......

Last edited by Aditya : 7th June 2015 at 07:40. Reason: Editing quoted content in line with the original post (#64)
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Old 27th September 2014, 10:31   #66
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Mileage - I topped up at Shell, Bellandur after completing my first service yesterday. Total distance since the last tank full - 235.3 kms. Total consumption - 8.9 litres. Mileage - 26.4 kmpl. Overall mileage since I got the bike is 24.78 kmpl. This was with speeds not exceeding 60 kmph and rather gentle acceleration. With the first service completed, I can now hit a recommended speed of 80 - 90 kmph.


Service Experience - With almost 480 kms on the odometer, I called up the RE SVC in Banarghetta a couple of days ago to find out what time they open and was told to come in by 08:30. There were 15 odd bikes by the time I reached (~08:40) and the number swelled to around 32 bikes before 09:00 which is when the first SA started inspecting the bikes and making notes. I had asked for the double seat to be added along with pillion foot pegs and had also brought my own cans of engine oil - Motul 4T 5100 15W50. I consistently used Motul's fully synthetic oil on my R15 and was very happy with it so sticking to Motul was a no brainer for me.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p9264570-medium.jpg
Smooth Operator


Each one litre can of Motul 5100 costs Rs 575 and the bike needs 2.75 litres (the last one was returned with around 370 ml remaining). Thinking that it would take half a day, I told the SA that I would wait in the customer lounge and was glad to see that they brought the bikes of the waiting customers first. The service as such was done slowly but steadily. While fitting the double seat they asked me if I wanted the rear grab handle. I asked them to add that as well and that is when things started slowing down. The pillion foot pegs took time to get put on and they struggled with fitting the rear grab handle. Finally the floor manager went over and realized that they were trying to fit a non GT grab handle which is why they were taking time. I was told that the RE showroom in JC Road will have it. Washing the bike took forever though they did a really good job with it. Interestingly, the double seat comes with an additional cowl which I asked them not to screw on for now. Nice touch.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p9264565-medium.jpg
Pleasant surprise

I got the bike by around 12:15 with the washing and grab handle fitting having accounted for at least half of my waiting time. Overall, the service experience was positive. I had to return later in my car to collect the old single seat and the cowl which the service staff gave me in the same box in which the double seat came in.

The cost breakup of the service is as follows (all costs including tax)
Labour - Rs 112.36
Oil Filter - Rs 93
Dual Seat Assembly - Rs 4150
Footpegs ( Rs 219 each x2) – Rs 438
Flanged Hex Nut (Rs 6 each x2) – Rs 12
Total amount – Rs 4805



Riding Experience – Rather uncharacteristically, I was awake at 06:00 today morning and decided to go for a short ride to see how the bike felt after the first service and what it was like when the hand on the throttle wasn’t too gentle. I certainly was surprised by the eagerness with which the engine responded and it did accelerate to 100 kmph a lot better than I expected and I soon settled instead for a steady 60 – 80 kmph. It is so much smoother now with the change in engine oil. I ended up clocking 60 kms around Bangalore and I can say, hand on my heart, that I thoroughly enjoyed each and every minute of it. The bike certainly is quick and I need to plan a trip to Nandi hills to understand how well it handles corners.


Here are a couple of pictures from my ride today morning. The bike's length certainly makes itself evident with the pillion seat added.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2014927065730-medium.jpg
Pardon the less than scenic background


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2014927065921-medium.jpg
Rowdy Roddy Piper said it best "Old School is cool"

Here is a close up of the original single seat that came with the Continental GT. The stitching matches the colour of the bike, a small detail but a very thoughtful one nonetheless.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p9264567-medium.jpg
Attention to detail from RE ?!

Last edited by neil.jericho : 27th September 2014 at 10:32.
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Old 28th September 2014, 00:13   #67
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Seat looks good!
That setup reminds me of my old 1973 Honda CB400F Cafe bike. One screaming machine with its 4 cylinder engine topping 11,000 rpm.

Anyway, you might be advised to put your CGT on the centerstand, start the engine and let it run for a little bit and then shut it off.
Let it rest for 30 seconds and then check your oil level in the sight window.

If they actually put 2.75 liters of oil in it I'm sure it is overfilled.

Yes, I know the Owners Manual says it holds that much but I believe the manual is in error.

I've found that after draining my oil tank on my 500cc UCE Royal Enfield, as well as it can be (which includes tipping the motorcycle to both sides to get the oil out of the sidecovers) and removing and replacing the oil filter, the most oil the refill has ever needed is 1.9 US quarts (1.80 liters).

Your engine has an additional oil drain plug under the crankshaft which my engine doesn't have so your engine will drain/require about 2.1 US quarts (1.99 liters) total.

If the mechanic has drained and refilled your engine correctly, the oil level (after the above start/shutdown) will be somewhere between the two cast lines next to the sight window.

Even if the oil level appears to be almost to the very top of the sight window, you will have no problem.

If the oil level is totally over the top of the sight window the engine may blow the excess oil out of the breather vent.

The crankcase breather vent, vents its air into the air filter box.

If this extra oil gets on the paper air filter it will greatly diminish the airflow thru the filter resulting in decreased performance and increased fuel consumption.

Last edited by ArizonaJim : 28th September 2014 at 00:19.
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Old 2nd October 2014, 20:19   #68
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

The company mandated 90 kmph ceiling (which I have extended to 100 kmph) till the 2000 km mark, does mean that I cant join any weekend rides because I would get left behind once the roads open up and so I'm trying to chip away at the target every chance I get. With time on my hands today and the promise of empty roads, I decided to head out for a short solo ride. I ended up riding to Bangalore's favourite destination for corner carving - Nandi Hills and finally took a few more photos. I really should start carrying my camera around when I go for these solo rides.


After the first service I have been up shifting around 3500 - 3600 rpm and I maintained a steady 70 - 90 kmph on the open stretches today. I wasnt very sure about hustling the bike through Nandi's famed corners but once again the bike exceeded my expectations and kept asking for more. A Royal Enfield with which you can corner with confidence! Whatever has the world come to? Unfortunately the sun was starting to set by the time I reached there so I couldnt do a second run up the 40 corners but I will head there soon.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20141002171825-medium.jpg
Feed me more!


The only scary moment occurred when I was slowly exiting a corner and spotted a young boy strolling across the corner while his parents waited for him on the other side. A less careful biker or car driver would not have noticed the kid and in all probability would have knocked him down. With parents like that, all I can say is God bless that kid.



Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20141002172402-medium.jpg
Spoilsport setting sun


Mileage: After the long ride to Nandi Hills I decided to top up at the same Shell petrol pump. With at least 150 kms of the riding being in the top two gears, the reserve indicator didnt come despite me clocking 200+ kms. Distance since last tank full - 241.9 kms. Total consumption - 7.39 litres. Mileage - 32.73 kmpl. Overall mileage since I got the bike - 27.02 kmpl.

After paying the bill I realized that I was unable to put the tank lid back on. I tried just about everything but it refused to fall in properly. A young gentleman walked up and offered to help and realized that I was trying to put the lid on in the wrong direction! Fortunately he was a fellow yellow GT owner (though he was on a scooter today) and realized my silly mistake. Needless to say, it was rather embarrassing!

Quote:
Originally Posted by ArizonaJim View Post
Seat looks good!
That setup reminds me of my old 1973 Honda CB400F Cafe bike. One screaming machine with its 4 cylinder engine topping 11,000 rpm.

If this extra oil gets on the paper air filter it will greatly diminish the airflow thru the filter resulting in decreased performance and increased fuel consumption.
Thanks ArizonaJim, I'll be sure to check it tomorrow. I was reading up on the CB400F, that 4 into 1 exhaust must have looked fantastic back in the day.
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Old 2nd October 2014, 21:30   #69
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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 neil.jericho View Post
Spoilsport setting sun.
The silencer is a bummer! Please change that as soon as you get your warranty completed

I think you get some parts of the bike highlighted in black color, Black & Yellow does match up better than silver, chrome & yellow. Hoping the rear mudflaps will go away as soon as the rains stop.

Last edited by Twinn : 2nd October 2014 at 21:32.
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Old 9th October 2014, 22:36   #70
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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 Twinn View Post
The silencer is a bummer! Please change that as soon as you get your warranty completed

I think you get some parts of the bike highlighted in black color, Black & Yellow does match up better than silver, chrome & yellow. Hoping the rear mudflaps will go away as soon as the rains stop.
Good you reminded me Twinn, a few weeks ago I had spoken to my mechanic about painting the grey bits black to get it a smarter two tone look. I am still undecided on the tank though, I am tempted to get the knee recesses painted black as well but I am a little concerned that it will not turn out as well as I visualize it in my head. Then again creativity was never my strong point. I will probably get the grey to black painting done around Christmas, so I will keep the thread updated on that front.


My riding for the last few days has been through slow moving traffic that would have been better suited to a tortoise race so I expect the mileage is going to go tumbling down. One positive development immediately following the first service was the end of the toe crushing first to neutral battle, most times it is the smoothest gear shift I will ever encounter in my life whereas it occasionally requires a little more effort than that. If the bike were a UFC fighter, the iconic Bruce Buffer would have introduced it as Royal Enfield's "The Leather Destroyerrrrrrr" Continental GTTTTTTTTTTTTT !


The silencer is a little unsightly and launching the bike with its barely audible exhaust is the closest that RE engineers have come to a criminal offence against bikers. Now I might get ostracized by fellow bikers for saying this but I actually have ended up preferring this soft purring exhaust which isnt an attention magnet to a louder, meaner exhaust that the Continental GT should have been endowed with. This coming from someone who used to spend free time checking out reviews of Akrapovič and Leo Vince for bikes that I can only dream of owning. How the mighty have fallen!


Has anyone noticed that the Continental GT has a fleeting appearance in the advert for a new release from a popular jeans manufacturer? The bike might sell in too few numbers for Royal Enfield to release it in a similar paint scheme but boy, does it look wicked!

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-bike-medium.jpg
The Blue / Black Attack
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Old 9th October 2014, 23:19   #71
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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
Good you reminded me Twinn, a few weeks ago I had spoken to my mechanic about painting the grey bits black to get it a smarter two tone look. I am still undecided on the tank though, I am tempted to get the knee recesses painted black as well but I am a little concerned that it will not turn out as well as I visualize it in my head. Then again creativity was never my strong point. I will probably get the grey to black painting done around Christmas, so I will keep the thread updated on that front.
Sounds Great!! I'd suggest, if your a DIY person.

Get a black insulation tape and cut the whole roll into 2 or 3 slices, so that you might get the thin strips.

Look at a RD350 Tank picture and try and mock up the tank with black stripes. In this process you might end up with some good ideas of pin-striping the Tank and you will not screw up the tank & shields.

Yellow should still be the main character in your beast, just add tinges of black to the Tank and side panels.

Last edited by Twinn : 9th October 2014 at 23:32.
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Old 12th October 2014, 01:14   #72
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Captain GT and the Hunt for the Pillion Seat Ring

Since the Royal Enfield service center on Banarghetta Road did not have the pillion grab handle (they call it a seat ring IIRC) in stock, they had directed me to the Royal Enfield parts store on JC Road. It is right below Sandhya Motors which I believe is a well known store that stocks parts for most bikes. Much to my surprise and chagrin, I was told by them that Royal Enfield supplies the pillion grab handle along with the dual seater set. They said that the supplied box for making it a two seater contains the double seat, the additional cowl (both of which I received) and this grab handle (missing in my case). To rub salt on my wounds, the grab handle is not sold separately. I have no clue why the service center does not receive the same sealed parts as the Royal Enfield parts supplier! I will call up the SVC on Monday and find out why this has happened. Most infuriating. The hunt is still on.

---------------------------------------------

I have realized that owning the Continental GT has meant an extended learning curve for me as a biker, I am learning to slowly appreciate its strengths and more importantly, how to live with some of its wrinkles. The famed buri nazar (a Hindi term that roughly translates to an evil eye) has struck me as the annoying gearbox shifting issue cropped up today in the 40 odd kms I rode through city traffic. This just two days after I posted that the gearbox seems to have worked itself out after the first service. Here is my feedback on two things I have dealt with extensively over the last two days.


Weight: The Continental GT might be Royal Enfield's lightest bike but it feels like a whale when I am wrestling with it while trying to back it up. I have not fully learnt the technique of using the side grab handle (picture below) while trying to reverse the bike in a parking lot. No rear grab handle only makes this activity more difficult than it needs to be.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20141011202216-medium.jpg
No bottle opener, this

May the deities you pray to, shower all their blessings and help you if you end up parking on the side of a road which has a tiny slope garnished with a healthy smattering of stones (basically most roads in India). 5 plus years of ownership of the lightweight R15 have meant that I am only used to sitting on the bike and using my legs to push backwards. An activity which does not result in any real movement on the Continental GT if there is a small slope / the side of the road leans down towards the pavement / gutter.


Riding with a pillion: Due to unavoidable circumstances, I had to pick up and drop a friend yesterday on my bike, something that I was trying to avoid since I didn't have the seat ring (doesn't have a errr ring to it, does it) installed. With no pillion grab handle in place, he almost had to resort to grabbing me on my love handles to stay on the bike! Since it was raining, progress was slow but with the rider (me) and pillion roughly weighing 80 kgs each, the bike slammed into a sharp speed breaker with a sound that would have made a blacksmith proud. Grimace inducing indeed.


After my unsuccessful visit to the RE spare parts center, I had to pick up my brother to go bike hunting for him. I asked him to use the side grab handle for balance and he was able to manage on the rear seat successfully with that. I am more paranoid about the pillion's safety than I am about mine, so I was riding slowly throughout as I wasn't fully convinced that this was as safe as riding with the rear grab handle. There was no bottoming out today though, something that could be attributed to the fact that my brother is a lot lighter than me.

Last edited by neil.jericho : 12th October 2014 at 01:18.
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Old 12th October 2014, 12:10   #73
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Re: Captain GT and the Hunt for the Pillion Seat Ring

The idea in yellow black paintjobs(That I've seen mostly),when the bike is looked on from the top view(plan view),the black dominates the profile.Some nice pin striping ideas should work out well.You can discuss it with any good stickering guy and you can see how it turns out.The cowl will have to be striped with black to have continuous lines.

Alternately,If you do decide to go all out at some point,There are these guys called CMC customs at Trivandrum.Insane paintjobs.Along with a nice round tailamp(Lucas 477/1,I'm getting that one for my enfield) and other bits should look killer.

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
The Continental GT might be Royal Enfield's lightest bike but it feels like a whale when I am wrestling with it while trying to back it up. I have not fully learnt the technique of using the side grab handle ([i]picture .
In my experience with removing Enfields from difficult spaces.I've always preferred to roll it out.The method of using the grab handle would involve you shifting your weight onto your legs and pushing(same way as you would while going up from a squat)while leaning your body backwards and pulling on the grab handle.Basically minimizing the effective body weight on the motorcycle.I think.
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Old 17th October 2014, 01:43   #74
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Re: Captain GT and the Hunt for the Pillion Seat Ring

Captain GT and the Hunt for the Pillion Seat Ring (Continued)

With my levels of annoyance having reached new heights (all part of the RE experience I told myself ....) I was wondering how to get my hands on the elusive seat ring when I realized that RE had helpfully provided a customer care number on the box in which the dual seat came in. With nothing to lose I gave them a call and I was given the number of the CRM head for Bangalore who told me that the seat ring was a separate part with its own part code. The gentleman promised that he will get someone from the SVC to get in touch with me and true to his word, a short while later I received a call from the same SVC at Banarghetta confirming that they had the part in store.


A couple of days later I went there in the morning to get the ring fixed. The first delay occurred when they realized they didnt have the right bolts with them. While checking the bike I realized that RE has actually left slots in the chassis for the bolts to go in. Future proofing and RE?! Whatever has the world come to?


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20141015114235-medium.jpg
Planning for a rainy day


So off went the service advisor to get the necessary bolts and once he was back he realized that the washers they were trying to use were interfering with the body work.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20141015114606-medium.jpg
If this happened in a Canadian workshop, could we call this a Montreal screwjob?


So off went the service advisor to grind the washers and after a couple of checks, the bolts were ready to go onto the bike. Here is the final result.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20141015131439-medium.jpg
We're here.....


The part cost Rs 235.81 with Rs 34.19 on top of that taking the total cost of the NR61 GRAB RAIL ASSY (RE's part description) to Rs 270. The part code is 585771/B. I was also charged for the four flanged hex bolts which came to Rs 44 in total. Cumulative bill came to Rs 314. All the back and forth meant that it took over 2 hours in total. They were kind enough to offer a free wash of the bike but I was in a rush to leave so I had to decline.


While I was there I spotted 3 more red Continental GTs and took a close up of the red stitching on the single seats. I honestly love this!

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20141015105339-medium.jpg
Lets get Red-dy to Rumble!

While people have complained about the folks in the Banarghetta SVC being slow, I have observed that they are knowledgeable, hard working and dedicated but it isnt a tightly run ship. A little more managerial oversight will clearly help them bring down some of the time they spend between jobs or even during a service.


Mileage : Most of the riding in the last tank full was in treacherous slow moving traffic conditions where I was virtually jostling with frustrated bikers as we all inched forward. I covered only 179.8 kms before filling in 6.72 litres at the same Shell pump for a mileage of 26.72 kmpl. Overall mileage since day one is 26.96 kmpl.


While waiting at the SVC, I was comparing the Continental GT with the other RE models and I felt that the Continental GT was the most non RE bike of them all. It certainly doesnt share the same design language as the others. Its vocals are nowhere close to its stablemates either. In terms of seating position and comfort, it should be at the bottom of the RE pile. At idle, the engine feels smooth and certainly doesnt have the same rumble as the other 500s. The bike's acceleration does leave other bikers wondering how RE finally managed to match their bike's go with the show. And it is all these uncharacteristic RE traits that make me love the RE Continental GT to bits.


Ownership Experience at 1000 kms :
As a daily ride, the Continental GT certainly does a pretty good job of managing the hustle and bustle of my daily commute while bringing a smile to my face when the road opens up and I twist the throttle. I would have loved for the front brake and gear lever to have been a little lower as that would have eased the pressure on my wrists but it isnt a deal breaker. The bike has been composed in the rare panic braking situations that I have encountered and does give handling its best shot even though it isnt inherently part of its genes. The first to neutral gremlin and the weight remain my biggest complaints so far in what has been a most enjoyable one and a half months of ownership.


To me, the Continental GT is Royal Enfield's version of stepping into the highly competitive world of mixed martial arts. With its earlier bikes, Royal Enfield was the quintessential bar room brawler, far from the pretty boy and without too many fancy moves in its repertoire but it had its fair share of supporters. With its more recent offerings, it was almost as though Royal Enfield finally realized that it had the talent but it needed to take a more scientific approach and with a few new tricks up its sleeve, it was time to step into the professional boxing ring. And win a lot more fans in the process. The mixed martial arts world though has no room for one trick wonders and the Continental GT is Royal Enfield's most honest attempt at making an all rounder that will appeal to the masses and more importantly serve as its halo model. Lessons have been learnt at every step of the way and I am excited to see where RE will go from here with their next major offering.


There are two things I wish RE did with the Continental GT though
1. Offer the bike either with a single seat or dual seat with seat ring. I have seen a few dual seat Continental GTs, though none of them were with the seat ring, while the majority have been the single seat versions. Add a grand or two to the bike's cost and give owners the flexibility to choose either option while taking delivery, RE.

2. Offer the Continental GT in the new Thunderbird's colours! At the SVC, I was looking at the stone Thunderbird 500 parked next to the Continental GT and couldnt help but wonder what it .... Come on RE, announce a limited run of say 50 bikes and watch them fly out of your showrooms. Heck, if RE supplies spare tanks that are rightly priced, I just might pick up one in marine. Or stone. Or marine. Or stone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twinn View Post
Yellow should still be the main character in your beast, just add tinges of black to the Tank and side panels.
Thanks Twinn, I will share mockups on this thread if I ever get around to actually painting the tank.

Quote:
Originally Posted by B O V View Post
Alternately,If you do decide to go all out at some point,There are these guys called CMC customs at Trivandrum.Insane paintjobs.Along with a nice round tailamp(Lucas 477/1,I'm getting that one for my enfield) and other bits should look killer.
Are these the guys who used to do up the Pulsars for the Ghost Ryderz?

Quote:
Originally Posted by B O V View Post
In my experience with removing Enfields from difficult spaces.I've always preferred to roll it out.The method of using the grab handle would involve you shifting your weight onto your legs and pushing(same way as you would while going up from a squat)while leaning your body backwards and pulling on the grab handle.Basically minimizing the effective body weight on the motorcycle.I think.
Need to get used to this, incidentally I was sitting on a D390 last week and was fascinated by how light it felt just to rock back and forth.

Last edited by neil.jericho : 17th October 2014 at 01:52. Reason: Grammar
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Old 17th October 2014, 15:39   #75
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

I don't know really know about if they've done Pulsars or Ghost Ryderz.But they are doing custom paint work on the beautiful Ducati Panigale 1199 R currently.
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