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Old 17th August 2019, 01:19   #541
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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
Rains. Motorcycles. Perfect.
I hadn't checked your thread in a long time. Just caught up on all your recent updates. Looks like you managed a couple of rides irrespective of the rains in there. Lucky you.

Entire July, we were riding every weekend in search of rains. Apart from a couple of instances, we couldn't find any success. And when it rained at last in August, I couldn't manage time to take my bike out!

And I see that you went back to the clip-on handlebars again. I bet that the clip-on might be more confidence-inspiring than the other set up while riding in the rains.

Ride Safe,
R-Six
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Old 17th August 2019, 22:30   #542
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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 R-Six View Post
I hadn't checked your thread in a long time. Just caught up on all your recent updates. Looks like you managed a couple of rides irrespective of the rains in there. Lucky you.

Entire July, we were riding every weekend in search of rains. Apart from a couple of instances, we couldn't find any success. And when it rained at last in August, I couldn't manage time to take my bike out!

And I see that you went back to the clip-on handlebars again. I bet that the clip-on might be more confidence-inspiring than the other set up while riding in the rains.
R-Six, it is nice to hear from you again. This year unfortunately the actual monsoon has been far below normal but in recent weeks the rainfall has been very heavy for a few days. The airport was even closed for a few days this month. In fact, there have been times where the rains have been far too heavy to ride safely, especially if there are strong winds involved, and I even find cars staying off the roads for those brief spells. Since conditions are not always conducive to safe riding, Ive realised that often discretion is the better part of valour.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190810_171459.jpg
An accidental selfie in the rains

I really am enjoying the experience with the stock handlebars. Earlier when I had to commute for an hour to an hour and a half, one way, with the heavy office laptop on my shoulders through the peak of Bangalore's often miserable traffic, the aggressive posture used to physically tire me by the end of the day. I had no option but to move to the more comfortable raised bars position. Now though, I dont have any such commute and I am fully satisfied with the current bars. I was even thinking about dropping the handlebars to a much lower position than the stock settings for a very aggressive setup for weekend corner carving but my middle aged belly is playing spoilsport to these plans for now
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Old 18th August 2019, 11:04   #543
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Dreams and motorcycles

If you are reading this, then you are in all likelihood an automobile enthusiast who is rather passionate about cars, and as is more likely to be the case, bikes. And a large part of being passionate about automobiles is finding and then falling for those vehicles that captivate you. Not just fascinate you but captivate. The ones that we dream about for years.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2004.jpg
2004 Kawasaki ZX10R

And this happens in different ways. Earlier it used to be from hearing stories told to you by an enthusiast bloke in the family or neighbourhood. Then came the times where automobile magazines were the only source of hopes and dreams for a generation of us Indian enthusiasts. Now we cant think of not being able to read a review on our smartphones or watch YouTube videos on our smart TVs at a moment's notice. And the beauty of it all is that falling for these captivating vehicles manifests itself in infinite ways.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2007kawasakininjazx105_800x0w.jpg
2007 Kawasaki ZX10R

When it came to motorcycles, I've always had a one way love affair with the magnificent Japanese litre class quartet. But among the four, over the years it was always the Kawasaki ZX10R that drew the heart strings the strongest. And when the original CBZ and Pulsar twins were the biggest motorcycles that I knew while growing up in a small town with a middle class upbringing, the dreams of owning a litre class motorcycle were just that. Dreams. And all you could do was go back to the magazines with reviews and comparison tests of the best of what Japan had to offer two wheeled enthusiasts and read those articles all over again. And then you dreamed again.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2008.jpg
2008 Kawasaki ZX10R

Through the years, Ive been blessed to own a few motorcycles but even 5 years ago, I never really thought we would get litre class motorcycles that would be within reach of regular folks like you and me. But things changed. Some of the Japanese giants were more aggressive than the others and the prices of these monsters started coming down slowly. And through abundant blessings and a lot of hard work, the litre class dream started looking like it might become a reality. Finally test rides for these litre class motorcycles started becoming available (how much our market has matured in such a short time!) and you could actually be sure about putting down a big portion of your life's earnings to achieve a boyhood dream.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2011.jpg
2011 Kawasaki ZX10R

The problem is, as you start getting older you, you cannot avoid getting wiser. And the more you think about it, the more you realize that these litre class masterclasses are just too much for most Indian roads. Just the first gear itself gets you into speeds that are illegal. The aggressive seating posture will make you discover new muscles and shop for a new spring foam mattress to sleep on. The abysmal mileage would make you wonder if taking your car would be more economical than taking your litre class bike out. But all of this sense and sensibilities would crumble when you picked up your old automobile magazines and read through the old reviews that you probably knew by heart. Or when I watched Ari and Zack's lovely review of the then new ZX10R for the n-th time.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2014.jpg
2014 Kawasaki ZX10R

And so it came to be that that everything was almost in place in 2018. The test ride of the Kawasaki ZX10R was done. The friendly sales guys were excited to find a genuine enthusiast in me who shared the same passion for two wheels that they did. Kawasaki did its part by announcing a magnificent drop dead pricing that stole the show. And they almost had a big portion of my life's earnings in their hands as well until I realized that the local dealership was using underhanded tricks to inflate the pricing illegally by a very substantial amount. And that was it. Dream over.


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2017 Kawasaki ZX10R Pearl Blizzard White

No other litre class motorcycle was close to being this affordable. But there was no way I was getting cheated out of my hard earned money due to a crooked dealer. And so I had to let go of the one dream that I had for the last twenty plus years. The Kawasaki had gotten away.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-krt.jpg
2018 Kawasaki ZX10R KRT Edition

A few months later, a fellow TBHPian and close friend shared details of a middleweight motorcycle that was perfect for me and had come up for sale. It had almost every required accessory already installed on it. The price was right. The seating position was comfortable. The owner was a thorough gentleman. And the deal was sealed. I've had no regrets since then. Being a preowned motorcycle, I saved a big amount as compared to buying the new ZX10R but it wasn't the bike that I had dreamt of for so many years.


Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-2019-zx10rr_bikesocial_004.jpg
2019 Kawasaki ZX10RR

But a couple of Sundays ago, I will confess my heart skipped a few beats when I realized that a fellow rider had come on the 2019 Kawasaki ZX10R. Yes, it had changed over the years and with its new KRT edition paint scheme it looked like it was trying hard to match the better looking litre class motorcycles of today. The old dash gives away its age in a time of digital TFTs and modern electronics. But the heart still skipped a few beats the same way that your grizzly, weathered and by now cynical heart does when you unexpectedly meet an old college sweetheart. And as I watched the rider pilot the ZX10R gracefully and without drama, I couldn't help myself but think what if.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190804_075657_hdr-large.jpg

But that is the life of an automobile enthusiast. For most of us, ours dream remains forever out of our reach and we are fine with it. We love the dream for being the dream. I will never be able to own the wonderful Ford Mustang but that I still love every generation of it nonetheless. Sometimes, a very few achieve these automotive dreams and enjoy them to the fullest. And very rarely, our dreams are within our grasp but they get snatched away. But I wouldn't despair at this for it is better to have dreamt and lost than never to have dreamt at all.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190804_064555_hdr-large.jpg

And thus fate has destined that I will never own the Kawasaki ZX10R in this lifetime. Maybe it is for the better. Who knows. You realize that times have changed and you have also changed. You move on. A fellow TBHPian and wonderful buddy told me that my patience with the Royal Enfield Continental GT was unwavering and it was almost like a spoilt child whose mistakes the parent keeps overlooking. And I guess that is true. So here is to the two motorcycles in my garage, one of which the amazingly engineered and built to perfection while the other, well the other is the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535. Unlike the Kawasaki that got away, Ive had thousands of kilometers and years of fun with the two motorcycles in my garage and I look forward to having many more. Sometimes, even the most captivating of dreams, will have to remain just dreams.
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Old 18th August 2019, 11:42   #544
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

Wow, you really do love the litre class Kwacker. I have to admit, off all the liter class bikes I have ridden/owned over the years barring the 05/06 blue and white Gsxr1000 , the zx10r was/is the most maniac in terms of its power delivery and wants you to stay on the other side of sanity to have great fun.
The market has really opened up in the last few years and I ve seen a few of these green demons pop up in the classified.
I am pretty sure you can get your hands on a zx10r sooner or later. Persistence is the key.
I know someone who managed to get hold of a KTM rc8 and that is proper rare if it helps.
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Old 18th August 2019, 23:38   #545
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Re: Dreams and motorcycles

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
A few months later, a fellow TBHPian and close friend shared details of a middleweight motorcycle that was perfect for me and had come up for sale. It had almost every required accessory already installed on it. The price was right. The seating position was comfortable. The owner was a thorough gentleman. And the deal was sealed. I've had no regrets since then. Being a preowned motorcycle, I saved a big amount as compared to buying the new ZX10R but it wasn't the bike that I had dreamt of for so many years.
Guess the last part explains why I couldn't spot an ownership thread for the STriple.

Your post did hit a chord and namely it was the 'middle class' chord and it did get me thinking about my unfulfilled childhood dreams of owning the Hayabusa, Getting Leh'd or completing the Saddlesore run that I left incomplete almost a decade ago.

But thinking a bit deeper I've come to terms with the statement 'Never Meet Your Heroes', not that I absolutely don't want to(God! I'd be lying if I claimed
so!) but simply because I fear I would not be the same person after and that is not always a bad thing, Period.

Last edited by ashwinprakas : 18th August 2019 at 23:39.
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Old 19th August 2019, 00:50   #546
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Re: Dreams and motorcycles

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Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post

But a couple of Sundays ago, I will confess my heart skipped a few beats when I realized that a fellow rider had come on the 2019 Kawasaki ZX10R. Yes, it had changed over the years and with its new KRT edition paint scheme it looked like it was trying hard to match the better looking litre class motorcycles of today. The old dash gives away its age in a time of digital TFTs and modern electronics. But the heart still skipped a few beats the same way that your grizzly, weathered and by now cynical heart does when you unexpectedly meet an old college sweetheart. And as I watched the rider pilot the ZX10R gracefully and without drama, I couldn't help myself but think what if.

But that is the life of an automobile enthusiast. For most of us, ours dream remains forever out of our reach and we are fine with it. We love the dream for being the dream. I will never be able to own the wonderful Ford Mustang but that I still love every generation of it nonetheless. Sometimes, a very few achieve these automotive dreams and enjoy them to the fullest. And very rarely, our dreams are within our grasp but they get snatched away. But I wouldn't despair at this for it is better to have dreamt and lost than never to have dreamt at all.

And thus fate has destined that I will never own the Kawasaki ZX10R in this lifetime. Maybe it is for the better. Who knows. You realize that times have changed and you have also changed. You move on. A fellow TBHPian and wonderful buddy told me that my patience with the Royal Enfield Continental GT was unwavering and it was almost like a spoilt child whose mistakes the parent keeps overlooking. And I guess that is true. So here is to the two motorcycles in my garage, one of which the amazingly engineered and built to perfection while the other, well the other is the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535. Unlike the Kawasaki that got away, Ive had thousands of kilometers and years of fun with the two motorcycles in my garage and I look forward to having many more. Sometimes, even the most captivating of dreams, will have to remain just dreams.


Damn it! !!

These 3 paragraphs hurt me in more ways than one.
I guess there's not much we can do, except blame the fault in our stars.

The night's not going to be one to remember for my liver, that's for sure.
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Old 20th August 2019, 11:25   #547
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Re: Dreams and motorcycles

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigron View Post
The market has really opened up in the last few years and I ve seen a few of these green demons pop up in the classified.
I am pretty sure you can get your hands on a zx10r sooner or later. Persistence is the key.
I know someone who managed to get hold of a KTM rc8 and that is proper rare if it helps.
The number of ZX10R motorcycles that are being sold by the local dealership these days is ridiculous! I am sure that many of these will find their way into the second hand market soon but the problem in Kerala is that everyone thinks their vehicles suffer from no depreciation. Besides, by then, I strongly suspect my sense and sensibilities (and my better half) will kick in and lean me towards a more sensible motorcycle like the Ninja 1000.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashwinprakas View Post
Guess the last part explains why I couldn't spot an ownership thread for the STriple.

Your post did hit a chord and namely it was the 'middle class' chord and it did get me thinking about my unfulfilled childhood dreams of owning the Hayabusa, Getting Leh'd or completing the Saddlesore run that I left incomplete almost a decade ago.

But thinking a bit deeper I've come to terms with the statement 'Never Meet Your Heroes', not that I absolutely don't want to(God! I'd be lying if I claimed
so!) but simply because I fear I would not be the same person after and that is not always a bad thing, Period.
Well said Ashwin, I thought about putting up an ownership thread for the Street Triple but just never got around to it. It is a great sensible motorcycle, even in its current MVD / RTO fearing de-fanged stock exhaust setup. Its subtle, can get parked anywhere and cops notice my riding gear and not the motorcycle when I ride past them. But it isnt the ZX10R.

Your dreams of riding through Leh are definitely worth pursuing at the earliest. Life has a funny way of catching up with all of us and time flies out the window. I know there is a Busa owner in Trivandrum. How about you achieve your Suzuki dream and do the saddlesore run on that?

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Originally Posted by simeonovitch View Post
Damn it! !!

These 3 paragraphs hurt me in more ways than one.
I guess there's not much we can do, except blame the fault in our stars.

The night's not going to be one to remember for my liver, that's for sure.
You are right simeonovitch. We accept our fate and move on. And we enjoy what we have.
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Old 20th August 2019, 11:42   #548
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re: Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)

I would recommend you look at out of station bikes if the ones in Kerela are absurdly priced.
An Indian invoiced bike with proper papers has no issues in getting registered in a different state. But time runs out if you are reaching the half century mark in terms of age. It's a very extreme riding position to enjoy after a certain age.
There are a few available in Punjab and Delhi that appear to be in good condition and open for negotiations.

Last edited by bigron : 20th August 2019 at 11:44.
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Old 20th August 2019, 15:21   #549
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Re: Dreams and motorcycles

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Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
I know there is a Busa owner in Trivandrum.
Indeed, Anupam is a fellow enthusiast as well as batch mate of mine, we even worked with the same firm, he was in Finance and I was in HR.

We even used to ride the same make of motorcycle(Bajaj Pulsar 220) before venturing into our own respective passions, and coincidentally we both still keep our respective P220's with ourselves even in spite of veering off the said path.

I motivate friends who're contemplating leaving Finance of how I was only able to manage a CT100 when he got a Hayabusa!

Quote:
How about you achieve your Suzuki dream and do the saddlesore run on that?
The Busa if I'm ever fortunate enough to own one, would merely be for the purpose of inflating my status quo, a couple of loud market errands and breakfast runs on it and I'd certainly be on the right track towards marrying a rich and affluent bride(preferably from a business/political background).

Once that is taken care of then its smooth sailing for me, who knows I might even be able to bribe/strong-arm IBA into giving me a honorary Saddlesore certificate.

P.S. I have a sick sense of humor.

Cheers,
A.P.

Last edited by ashwinprakas : 20th August 2019 at 15:29.
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Old 22nd August 2019, 10:20   #550
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New engine oil by Royal Enfield

Recently there was news that Royal Enfield has increased the service intervals of their motorcycles to make ownership costs affordable. The reality is that Royal Enfield has approved usage of a new semi synthetic oil now that has a service life of 10,000 kms. The oil will be checked and topped up at the 5,000 km or 6 month service interval. The new engine oil is manufactured by Total while the older mineral oil called Liquid Gun is manufactured by HP. This new semi synthetic oil can be used for the 350cc, 500cc and 535 cc engines only. So it is not applicable to the Himalayan or 650 twins. A fellow GT owner had shared that the cost of the semi synthetic oil is Rs 900 for a 2.5 litre can. I need to verify this though.

I wouldnt take a fully synthetic oil, much less a semi synthetic oil, to 10,000 kms between services but luckily my Continental GT 535 sees only a few thousand kms a year now. After going through the Motul 5100 (semi synthetic) and Motul 300V and Shell Advance Ultra (both fully synthetic), it might be interesting to see how the new semi synthetic oil from Total actually performs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashwinprakas View Post
Indeed, Anupam is a fellow enthusiast as well as batch mate of mine, we even worked with the same firm, he was in Finance and I was in HR.
I didnt want to mention his name but you did It is small world when it comes to motorcyclists.
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Old 22nd August 2019, 22:21   #551
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Nearing the 5 year mark

My Continental GT 535 ownership is nearing the 5 year mark and it was time to renew the bike's insurance once again. I opted for New India Insurance as they were the most cost effective option and I purchased the policy through the Coverfox aggregator website. For an IDV of around Rs 1.03 lakhs, the total insurance amount including tax worked out to Rs 3,352.

Here are some pictures taken while riding the Continental GT 535 through the picturesque Fort Cochin.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190822_163307_hdr-large.jpg
The stormy sea has washed away some of the walkway necessitating the rudimentary and flimsy barricade that you see

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190822_162935_hdr-large.jpg
Calm and serene parts of Fort Cochin


Mileage :
I find myself often noticing that the mileage that I have calculated is far below what I expected given the lack of traffic and highway riding that I would have encountered. This time however, I have found that the mileage was far higher than what I expected and it leads me to believe that the condensation problem that I observed might have thrown the odometer for a toss thereby causing it to over-estimate the distances actually covered. This is definitely something for me to carefully check in the coming weeks. Distance covered : 138.8 kms. Petrol consumed : 3.12 litres. Mileage: 44.49 kmpl which is mind boggling when I consider the city traffic that I encountered. Mileage since day 1 stands at 27.61 kmpl.
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Old 22nd August 2019, 23:08   #552
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Re: Dreams and motorcycles

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
Besides, by then, I strongly suspect my sense and sensibilities (and my better half) will kick in and lean me towards a more sensible motorcycle like the Ninja 1000.
Come on Neil ... you know there is a more sensible yet wild particular motorcycle out there for you
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Old 23rd August 2019, 15:23   #553
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Re: Dreams and motorcycles

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Originally Posted by ethanhunt123 View Post
Come on Neil ... you know there is a more sensible yet wild particular motorcycle out there for you
We finally seem to agree on one thing! It just goes to show that after all, great minds do think alike.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-cdcryvgw4ae3isn.jpg
Africa Twin for the win!
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Old 27th August 2019, 22:39   #554
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Beach hunting

Despite predictions from both the weatherman and Google (only one of them is usually right, no points for guessing which one) on rains throughout the day, the weather conditions were actually clear and it let a bit of sunshine out even. This coupled with the fact that I had a couple of free hours to myself, meant that I was off to explore the unknown but lovely beaches that arent too far away from Cochin. While riding through these coastal roads, I had to ride past the same stretch where one of the mirrors had broken and fallen off a few months ago. Fortunately this time there was no such embarrassing turn of events. Phew!

My first stop was this unnamed football ground beach that I chanced upon where I only had a friendly dog for company. I could see motorcycle tire tracks all the way till the waterfront but I didnt want to risk taking the heavy Continental GT 535 and getting stuck so I parked it a safe distance away. Since Ive grown up in a coastal city, I am a beach guy who can spend any number of hours just sitting and watching wave after infinite wave, mesmerizingly make their way to the shore. It is no wonder that so many of these meditation apps use the sound of waves for calming listeners.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190827_170458_hdr-large.jpg
Can you imagine playing football every day with the sea providing the background score?

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190827_170359_hdr-large.jpg
Leading the chilled out life

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190827_170203_hdr.jpg
That looks like the roof of a house that has been damaged, I hope it isnt!

My next stop was Arthunkal beach which as it turned out, wasnt too far away. It is safe to say that this is another hidden treasure on Kerala's coastline. There were a few groups of men sitting around on the large beach, who were caught up in their animated discussions and a handful of other local people but the whole beach was otherwise devoid of human company.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190827_172446_hdr.jpg
Just look at that lovely sky!

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190827_172905_hdr.jpg
This dog didnt seem to be too enamoured by the waves

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-20190827_173429_hdr-large.jpg
The GT carefully parked right near the soft sand

A couple of days ago, I was inching through a bit of slow moving traffic and a traffic cop on the walkie talkie walked towards my bike from the front and said that he wanted a lift since I was going in the same direction that he wanted to go. I tried telling him that there is no pillion seat but since he was listening to the instructions on the walkie talkie, he couldnt understand what I was saying. By instinct he almost swung his leg over the pillion seat and then he realized what I was trying to tell him. The look on his face was quite something!

Mileage : The last time I calculated the mileage, it was much higher than what I had expected by a ridiculous margin but after taking up at the same petrol pump again, the mileage figures seem to have reverted back to normal. I really cant explain how the numbers shot up so much when the mileage was last calculated. Just Royal Enfield things I guess. Distance covered : 103.8 kms. Petrol consumed : 4.06 litres. Mileage: 25.57 kmpl. Mileage since day 1 stands at 27.60 kmpl.
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Old 30th August 2019, 12:14   #555
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Bringing back some lost glory

Thanks to the monsoons and my laziness, I havent subjected the Continental GT 535 to the usual monthly wash and wax routine that keeps the motorcycle looking nice and shiny. As a result of this, the Continental GT was starting to look its age and the bike was quite frankly looking tired. It was like one of those beater bikes that only get washed when it rains or when it gets hosed down while watering the garden.

The one area that really needed attention was the engine that had so many layers of dirt and grime accumulated over the years, that it added another 10 years to the life of the motorcycle. Fellow Continental GT 535 owners had suggested Autosol metal polish combined with a whole lot of hard work to get the engine looking clean and close to mint showroom condition. Over the last week, Ive spent hours sitting and scrubbing the engine with an old toothbrush after applying Autosol and the results have been encouraging. However I am still not fully happy with the results and it still needs several hours of work to get it to a state where I would be happy to showcase it.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290560-large.jpg
Doesnt look that well kept, does it?

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290506-large.jpg
Some light scratches gifted by Royal Enfield during the chassis-gate issue

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290505-large.jpg
Embarrassingly dull looking tank

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290503-large.jpg
What can I say?

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290467-large.jpg
Yikes! I can barely see the reflection of the camera

Step number one was washing the bike using the 3M Car care car wash shampoo. This is a really good product that I have been using for quite sometime and I am very happy with the results of it. I am a repeat customer and I use it for cleaning all the vehicles in my garage. The Continental GT was already starting to look a little better with the shampoo wash.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290557-large.jpg
3M Car care car wash shampoo in action

After drying down the bike, the next step involved using Meguiar's Ultimate Polish for injecting some life into the bike's paint. This is the first time that I have used this product and it basically prepared the Continental GT for a wax job on top of it. The polish had a nice fruity smell to it. After wiping off the polish, the Continental GT was all set for the wax.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290564-large.jpg

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290562-large.jpg

The last and final step had me apply Formula 1 Carnauba Paste Wax on the polished bike. Ive been using the Formula 1 wax for several years and the usual combination for my bikes has been 3M wash shampoo + Formula 1 wax. Of course, the Formula 1 wax is a clear level below the amazing Collinite 845 and other top of the line waxes but for those on a budget, the Formula 1 wax works very well. After applying the wax and wiping it off, it was good to see the final output of all the hard work.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290582-large.jpg
Much better indeed!

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290577-large.jpg
You can see the engine looks a lot nicer than it did in older pictures

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290580-large.jpg
This, I like!

Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 : Ownership Review (32,000 km and 9 years)-p8290570-large.jpg
Doesnt look like a 5 year old motorcycle, does it?
neil.jericho is offline   (3) Thanks
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