[B O V]

Hahaha! No, its visible quite clearly in that wicked picture of his on the previous page.

Mystery solved?

I'll take the compliment though, Neil

[Snehal Sekhar]

The problem was simple enough, the two screws under the seat of the Bullet 350 (incorrectly mentioned as Bullet 500 in my post) that were holding the rear mudguard in place fell off. On a 3 month old bike that is unacceptable. The rider said that they had just crossed a small bump (that wasnt big enough that I noticed it) and after that the tyre just locked up.
Anyways I have asked the owner to write to RE to let them know about the problem. In an urban setting, the same tyre lock up would have definitely caused an unavoidable accident.

The owner's dad decided against it and blamed him for going too fast. His justification was "how can you blame RE just because you went too fast on a bump. You should have been more careful when riding and can not blame RE for no fault of theirs". He paid a 100 and got his rear mudguard fixed at a local mechanic.
I feel this is the kind of attitude that makes RE what it is today. If more people had given up that "chalta hai / adjust maadi" attitude and started to give RE a piece of their minds and a filed a few law suits as well, RE would have got their act together a long time ago and built more reliable products.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

The owner's dad decided against it and blamed him for going too fast. His justification was "how can you blame RE just because you went too fast on a bump. You should have been more careful when riding and can not blame RE for no fault of theirs". He paid a 100 and got his rear mudguard fixed at a local mechanic.
I feel this is the kind of attitude that makes RE what it is today. If more people had given up that "chalta hai / adjust maadi" attitude and started to give RE a piece of their minds and a filed a few law suits as well, RE would have got their act together a long time ago and built more reliable products.

Snehal, I was just going to PM you today to find out if your friend had written to RE. It is unfortunate that his dad didnt want him to take it up with the company. I'll write to them tomorrow to share the incident with them and let them know that this is the sort of PDI that is happening in Bangalore while leaving your friend's details out of it. These are issues that shouldnt just be dropped when the company (build quality) and dealer (PDI) are clearly at fault.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

The owner's dad decided against it and blamed him for going too fast. His justification was "how can you blame RE just because you went too fast on a bump. You should have been more careful when riding and can not blame RE for no fault of theirs". He paid a 100 and got his rear mudguard fixed at a local mechanic.
I feel this is the kind of attitude that makes RE what it is today. If more people had given up that "chalta hai / adjust maadi" attitude and started to give RE a piece of their minds and a filed a few law suits as well, RE would have got their act together a long time ago and built more reliable products.

I wrote a detailed email to RE last night detailing what happened and shared pictures of the skid marks and the bike without the rear mudguard. I also shared links to the posts on TBHP highlighting the incident. I received an email response from them today in which they stated that the Territory Service Manager will be getting in touch with me to find out more details and address the issue. Incidentally this happened to be the same gentleman who helped me with getting the rear grab handle for my bike a few months ago.


I received a call from him today morning and I am listing the key points we spoke about
- He apologized for the incident and admitted that the consequences could have been a lot worse.
- He wanted all the details of the incident - where and when it happened, the exact sequence of events
- He asked for the details of the owner and his vehicle so that they can get in touch with him and do a thorough investigation of why it happened
- I explained that since it was a case of screws falling off (something which they have since fixed at the local mechanic) there is nothing really that they can do to investigate / do a root cause analysis, he agreed
- He has promised that they will definitely take this very seriously and will follow up with the dealership in question to ensure it doesnt happen again
- He thanked me for taking the effort of sharing this feedback with them


If your friend would like to get the bike shown to RE for a check (to be on the safer side), do let me know. I can connect him with the gentleman from RE who will ensure it gets done.


Overall I am very glad to see this positive response from RE. The gentleman who spoke to me didnt try to pass the blame to the customer or wriggle out of the situation. The company has made a mistake in this case. They have admitted to it and are willing to do everything to check the bike and ensure it never happens again. They are going to take this up with the dealership and ensure stricter PDIs are carried out. Thumbs up Royal Enfield.


Now if only this same commitment to excellence would trickle down to the RE manufacturing process.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Overall I am very glad to see this positive response from RE. The gentleman who spoke to me didnt try to pass the blame to the customer or wriggle out of the situation. The company has made a mistake in this case. They have admitted to it and are willing to do everything to check the bike and ensure it never happens again. They are going to take this up with the dealership and ensure stricter PDIs are carried out. Thumbs up Royal Enfield.
Now if only this same commitment to excellence would trickle down to the RE manufacturing process.

Way to go Neil! It looks like RE is catching up with trying to make customers happy at last! Just goes to show how things can change for the better if people spoke to these fellas at RE and let them know what the ground reality is. Not that they don't know, but when people start making a fuss over it they are bound to change for the better or they get to loose out in our ever competitive market.
Just hoping that some good comes out of this entire episode and others don't have to face the same issue ever.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I wrote a detailed email to RE last night detailing what happened and shared pictures of the skid marks and the bike without the rear mudguard....


I received a call from him today morning and I am listing the key points we spoke about
- He apologized for the incident and admitted that the consequences could have been a lot worse.
- He wanted all the details of the incident - where and when it happened, the exact sequence of events
- He asked for the details of the owner and his vehicle so that they can get in touch with him and do a thorough investigation of why it happened
- I explained that since it was a case of screws falling off (something which they have since fixed at the local mechanic) there is nothing really that they can do to investigate / do a root cause analysis, he agreed
- He has promised that they will definitely take this very seriously and will follow up with the dealership in question to ensure it doesnt happen again
- He thanked me for taking the effort of sharing this feedback with them

Wow. Just wow. A truly warm gesture from RE that makes the customer feel important. Hope they keep on at it. All other manufacturer can and should learn a lot from this single instance.

[neil.jericho]

Well after a long wait, I finally have my paws on the Givi windscreen, courtesy my wife who bought it from Hitchcock's in the UK. The breakup is as below

Total Amount - 54
P&P + INS (UK Zone 1) - 5.40
VAT - 11.88
Total 71.28 pounds

I will get it installed this weekend. The thing looks big!

Deo placed for scale


Assorted screws and nuts with guide

Update - I had reached out to Snehal and helped connect his buddy with the gentleman from RE.

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Way to go Neil! It looks like RE is catching up with trying to make customers happy at last! Just goes to show how things can change for the better if people spoke to these fellas at RE and let them know what the ground reality is.

Completely agree Snehal, it is heartening to note that the company is doing all the right things in terms of customer engagement. Now they just need customers willing to engage with them in a healthy manner. Any updates from your friend after we put him on to the RE person?

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Wow. Just wow. A truly warm gesture from RE that makes the customer feel important. Hope they keep on at it. All other manufacturer can and should learn a lot from this single instance.

We often underestimate the power of simple things like gratitude and manners. As a representative of the company, the gentleman has always spoken to me with politeness and a willingness to help in the 4 or 5 phone calls that we have had. That and the readiness to take responsibility mean the world to customers like me.

[Snehal Sekhar]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Completely agree Snehal, it is heartening to note that the company is doing all the right things in terms of customer engagement. Now they just need customers willing to engage with them in a healthy manner. Any updates from your friend after we put him on to the RE person?

Not as yet Neil. He's leaving his bike for it's second service one of these days and decided to check on his rear mudguard then. The gentleman from RE he spoke to agreed and said that he could contact him anytime and his issue would be looked into and taken care of when he left his bike for its service.

[neil.jericho]

Here are marginally better pictures of the Givi windscreen from different angles. I will post photos of the installation-in-progress and finished product over the weekend.

[sumithb]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Here are marginally better pictures of the Givi windscreen from different angles. I will post photos of the installation-in-progress and finished product over the weekend.

Have had my eyes on this for sometime, the price seems reasonable, shipping to India will be killing! Eagerly waiting for installation and finished pics.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Here are marginally better pictures of the Givi windscreen from different angles. I will post photos of the installation-in-progress and finished product over the weekend.

Just cant wait for the final outcome of this along with the stripes! Its gonna be a beauty!!

[neil.jericho]

I went to Raymond's place in Koramangala to get the Givi windscreen fitted for the Continental GT.

Un-faired and lovely


Side view (pre-installation)


Raymond checking the fit


Side view (post - installation)


Over the shoulder view

For me overall fit and finish of the product looks top notch. Even Raymond was saying that he was impressed by the quality of it and that he was going to recommend it to a fellow customer who was looking for one for his Ducati. I'll have to check fitting more closely and take pictures later in the day.


For those who are interested in a more reasonably priced windscreen, Raymond was mentioning that there are locally made ones which cost around Rs 2.5 K that do the job. Fitting is a pain though.


I did a short ride to tank up and felt that there was a difference in riding comfort with less wind hitting me. Where exactly it is hitting and how it is deflecting are things I will have to figure out on tomorrow's ride.

[neil.jericho]

Here are more pictures of the installed Givi windscreen.

Side View


Rider's View


Head on

[B O V]

That looks killer!

Is it a direct bolt on fit?

I suppose the black stripe works are in the pipeline?

Regards,

BOV

[neil.jericho]

While I was getting the Givi windscreen installed yesterday, I had an inclination that the headlight was angled slightly downwards but after looking at it a couple of times, Raymond and I thought that it seemed all right. I planned to check the throw later in the evening but due to the inclement weather I had to call off that plan.


Today morning I was all geared up and on my way to the meeting spot to meet Sojogator and Porschefire when I realized that my suspicions were indeed on the button. The headlight was angled downwards for sure and I was having some difficulty on the unlit parts of the road due to the limited spread. I knew that sunlight was at least half an hour away and I was seriously reconsidering my decision to go for the ride on account of the lighting problem given that the roads were soaked from the overnight rain.


With no traffic on a deserted nearby street, I slowed down and was alternating between the low beam and high beam to check for visibility and confirm if it made sense to continue or not. Having ridden through this road hundreds of times over the last seven years, some hidden biker instinct kicked in and I suddenly realized I ought to be close to an annoying and unnecessary speed breaker and sure enough I was. Just like every other time that I have crossed the speed breaker, I used the brakes to slow down but before I knew it BADA BING, BADA BOOM I was tumbling across tarmac.


I couldnt get up immediately cause my bag was entangled in the handlebar and some good Samaritans helped pull the bike up while I sat and surveyed the damage. I felt some pain in my right foot but that wasnt much compared to the strong muscle pull I fell behind my right pelvic bone. Think Brock Lesnar knee with full force to your side kind of pain. As fate would have it I had fallen right in front of one of Bangalore's most unscrupulous hospitals, the kind that insists on every known test and treatment under the sun if they know your company provides you with comprehensive insurance. Whether it is required or not is not something they are really concerned about. Money talks. Not wanting to touch it with a barge pole, I gingerly hopped onto my bike and headed home after informing the others that I wouldnt be able to make it.


I willed myself up to my apartment and plonked myself into bed. I couldnt really move my right hand without bolts of pain shooting through my right side around the waist. Sleep finally descended but I woke up to even worse pain that was bad enough that I couldnt even pull my riding pants off. Eventually I decided to just work through it all and a few hours later I had some food and took an anti inflammatory to help reduce the extreme agony. After lunch and a good nap, I felt a lot better and went to a nearby hospital and got my foot wrapped in crepe bandage. Tomorrow I will get an XRay done to ensure that there is no hairline fracture on my right foot.


I've crossed that very same speed breaker at faster speeds, slower speeds and roughly the same speed as today. I've crossed it on hot sunny days, in the pouring rain and every other weather condition in between. Why did I fall? I still dont know and probably never will.


People question the need to spend money on riding gear. Arre baba, a helmet is enough, why all this gear and all? Who are you trying to impress? Today's experience proves once again that its an investment worth making. It was only around 11 AM or so that I realized that my helmet had also decided to go one on one with the road. I did not know that my head had hit the ground. My HJC helmet had absorbed the impact and saved my skull. Thanks to my gear and divine providence, I do not have a single scratch on the left side of my body (the side on which the bike fell). Here is the condition of my helmet, I'll have to replace it with a new one.

I thought my bike didnt take too much damage, the clutch lever unit has bent upwards and probably needs to be replaced or hammered down. The clutch pedal needs to be replaced. The left RVM has left the building. One of the photos does make it look as though the handle bar is bent, I didnt think it was in the morning but it certainly deserves a second look.

Despite not being able to make it to the ride, I did get a first hand glimpse of how biking brings us all together. A couple of forum members I have ridden with earlier called me in the morning itself to check on me and ensure I was all right. Another forum member who wasnt even joining us on this ride called me up and offered to take me to the hospital if I needed help. A shared passion for two wheels and the camaraderie from just a couple of bike rides was all it took. I couldnt help but shake my head in amazement and marvel at it all. Thanks a lot guys, it sure meant a lot to me.


While I was lying in bed, completely helpless and alone, I realized this was reality's way of finally slapping some much needed sense back into me. Over the past few months Ive been talking to my wife about potentially buying myself a bigger bike if and when we do make a move to the US in a year or two. Like many others on this forum, I've been reading up on different bikes just to understand how they performed, what they did well and where they needed to improve and what sort of rider they suited. I've looked at everything from the sensible Honda 500s to the lethal Kawasaki ZX10R to the crazy Yamaha FZ09 to the perennial favourite Suzuki GSX750R and everything else in between. I kept telling myself that I was a careful rider and that I would be able to handle the power and all round abilities of these bigger bikes. OK so maybe not that of the ZX14R.


Today I had to admit that I am not yet ready. With roughly 80,000 kms of riding two wheelers in Indian conditions under my belt, I thought that I had learnt from all the best riders I know and was a very safe and sensible biker. I always followed the rules, used indicators, rode responsibly, was extra careful everytime I had a pillion, wore safety gear everywhere, never took risks and so on. Its ironic that in my quest to ensure I was making a rational decision, I took things for granted and made a rookie mistake which led to my downfall (literally) . Being 100% attentive for 99.9999999999% of the time isnt enough. Through corners on a weekend ride, in traffic commuting to work, on the race track, a rider has to be 100% attentive all the time. All it takes is five seconds of multi tasking or carelessness for something to happen. Trust me, I know


On a lighter note, it certain has been a wallet busting week with regard to riding gear. I just bought my wife a red Alpinestar fending air jacket. She bought herself an AGV 5 continents helmets yesterday. And now I will have to replace my 6 month old HJC. Sigh!