[neil.jericho]

Has there ever been a Bangalore summer that has been as sweltering as this one? Was there ever a more welcome summer shower than the one we were blessed with on Friday? Sure, traffic rapidly descended into chaos within an hour or two, roads were unsurprisingly flooded and people were drenched to the bone but with the temperature mercifully dropping, it was impossible to not ride on Saturday morning. The thing is, I forgot to account for my inability to wake up in the wee hours of Saturday after an exhausting 5 days.


Having missed my planned early morning ride, I decided to compensate in some small way by riding to IPC for an early lunch instead since I wasnt going to be able to join the Sunday group ride. With sour memories of my last visit to Nandi Hills, I wasnt really keen on venturing there but since traffic was relatively sparse I thought I would give it a shot. It was so much cooler out there than in Bangalore city (cause well, duh!) and I enjoyed the leisurely ride up to the top without indulging in any real corner carving. After a light lunch, the ride back into the city was equally relaxed with comfortable top gear cruising just short of the three figure mark. Sure it wont set any roll on timing records but it does have adequate grunt to overtake other vehicles on the highways and you dont need to resort to a hope and a prayer to leave others behind.


Returning to the city though, I was met by a ridiculous amount of traffic that quite frankly undid all the fun of the ride to Nandi Hills with the only solace being I got to ride side by side for some time with two mesmerizingly loud Hayabusas - one with Yoshimuras and the other with Brocks. I was thankful for the KTM handlebars as the stock ones would've guaranteed that I pulled over and took a break after some time, the traffic was actually that bad. The agonizingly slow traffic meant that the engine was heating up quite a bit and the malfunction indicator lamp came on after a while and stayed on. Not wanting to take a risk, I nursed the bike back home and let it cool down before switching it on but the light didnt reappear. I commuted on the bike today as well but it didnt come on so Im putting it down to the engine overheating. Any thoughts from the experts?

Last week the RE mechanic had suggested that I top up the oil levels as they were pretty low so I picked up a can of Motul 5100 over the weekend. My bike does noticeably leak oil on the right side (though it never drips onto the ground) which is the opposite of Julyone_Modi's bike (with around 4K on the odo) that doesnt leak oil at all. Here are a few pictures for comparison.

Im sure my bike was in this state with 4000 on the odo as well...


All part of the character!

While returning from the Nandi ride, I could feel that the front brake had lost some of its bite and was starting to feel a little wooden. My commute today confirmed the same. That sharp braking feel is definitely not there any longer so its probably something I should get checked.


Mileage : Topped up at the upgraded HP bunk near ISRO today after covering with a near about 50 - 50 split of city and highways. Total distance : 195.7 kms. Total petrol consumed : 7.51 litres. Mileage : 26.06 kmpl.

[ArizonaJim]

I did some digging for information about the engine oil temperature sensor and the MIL to see if overheating would trigger the light to turn on.

I didn't find anything that said specifically that hot oil temperature would trigger this but I did find some test requirements for the oil temperature sensor.

@ -20°C (-4°F) there should be a resistance of 18800 ohms.
@ 40°C (104°F) there should be a resistance of 1136 ohms.
@ 100°C (212°F) there should be a resistance of 155 ohms.

The maximum service temperature is listed as 120°C (248°F). No resistance data is given.

As rapidly as the resistance is dropping as the temperature goes up, I would expect the resistance to be 0.0 ohms before the 120°C is reached.

One of the things the ECU checks at start-up is the connections for all of the sensors to make sure they are plugged in and working.

IMO, if the resistance of the oil temperature sensor dropped to 0.0 ohms, the ECU would think the connection to the sensor was lost. That would trigger the MIL light to turn on.

Oil temperatures of 120°C could easily be reached on a hot day with no air movement around the engine such as when your sitting in congested traffic.

Engine oil and for that matter, the engine will not be harmed if their temperature reaches 120°C but turning off the engine and letting it cool down a bit would be a good thing to do.

[julyone_modi]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Returning to the city though, I was met by a ridiculous amount of traffic, the traffic was actually that bad. The agonizingly slow traffic meant that the engine was heating up quite a bit and the malfunction indicator lamp came on after a while and stayed on. I commuted on the bike today as well but it didnt come on so Im putting it down to the engine overheating. Any thoughts from the experts?

Yes,I have experienced the exact same thing. Was riding back from Whitefield via ORR on a Friday evening choc-a-bloc traffic. With no or little movement, the engine heated up quickly to the point I could smell burning rubber. Imagine the big-bore engine with no heat dissipation, it was cooking my legs. The engine check light came on and continued to glow till i came home. The experience left me quiet shocked. The light was normally working the next day, so yeah it does glow when engine is super-heated.
However this is not covered in the manual.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

While returning from the Nandi ride, I could feel that the front brake had lost some of its bite and was starting to feel a little wooden. My commute today confirmed the same. That sharp braking feel is definitely not there any longer so its probably something I should get checked.

Just FYI, EBC HH brake pads are availlablle for CgT here

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

I did some digging for information about the engine oil temperature sensor and the MIL to see if overheating would trigger the light to turn on.

I didn't find anything that said specifically that hot oil temperature would trigger this but I did find some test requirements for the oil temperature sensor.

@ -20°C (-4°F) there should be a resistance of 18800 ohms.
@ 40°C (104°F) there should be a resistance of 1136 ohms.
@ 100°C (212°F) there should be a resistance of 155 ohms.

The maximum service temperature is listed as 120°C (248°F). No resistance data is given.

As rapidly as the resistance is dropping as the temperature goes up, I would expect the resistance to be 0.0 ohms before the 120°C is reached.

IMO, if the resistance of the oil temperature sensor dropped to 0.0 ohms, the ECU would think the connection to the sensor was lost. That would trigger the MIL light to turn on.

Most likely sir!

[neil.jericho]

Thanks for the replies ArizonaJim and Julyone_Modi, the bike is yet to repeat it's behaviour so it looks as though its back to normal. I cross checked against my earlier posts and I had replaced the front disc pads last October and have done only 3500 kms since then so it is too early for a change.

I havent done too much riding since my last update because Royal Enfield's infamous build quality reared its not so pretty head twice in a very short span. I was just dusting off the bike last week when I realized that a pipe had broken off. Turns out it was the crank case breather pipe that decided that enough is enough and its time for a change (sigh! No one saw what I did there). Here are a couple of pictures of the rebellious breather pipe.

Taken a few weeks ago, no real problem visible (see red arrow)


Ta-daaaaa! (oil leak rather visible)

Took it to a FNG down the road to check and he said the hose is in decent condition and I can continue to use it without a worry. I am not one to be taking my chances though. I took it for a short spin last Saturday and came back to see that another pipe is about to give up the ghost. I dont know what this is called but the poor quality picture does show that its about to throw in the towel as well.

Oh well, maybe its a sign that I need to take it for the 15K service sooner rather than later. I will get the accelerator and clutch cables changed as well, I used to replace them every 10,000 kms when I had a Yamaha R15 even though it wasnt really necessary. With the Continental GT though, it would probably be wise on my part to follow the 10K habit pretty seriously.

[neil.jericho]

After last night's absolutely fantastic Foo Fighters tribute concert by Mad Orange Fireworks, I wasnt too sure on whether I would be able to wake up in time for today's early group ride to Savandurga and Manchinbele dam. Sure enough, I slept right through all 4 of my alarms but seeing the lovely weather today, I didnt want to just laze around and miss out on a memorable ride. So after a heavy breakfast, I decided to do a quick solo run of the famous Anchetty loop despite knowing that I would encounter quite a bit of traffic given how late it was.

The traffic to Kanakapura wasnt all too bad and once the traffic reduced to a trickle, blasting through the serpentine (the perfect word to describe it really) Anchetty loop proved to be bucketloads of fun. The greenery was bewitching and each time I stopped to click a few pictures, I was left wondering whether I should just spend a few more minutes to let it all sink in or proceed with belting the bike around the glorious corners. Having several trees lining the road in full bloom helped make my decision making just that bit more difficult.

This is hands down, the best stretch around Bangalore for riding. It dips. It rises. It has blind corners. It turns sharply. It surprisingly twists without warning or provocation. Sometimes many of the above combine together. In a single corner. Anyone can ride a fast bike quickly on an arrow straight road but its what you are able to do when the going gets twisty that really matters.

At a relaxed pace this loop will occasionally catch you out and you will have to panic brake. However even for skilled riders, it is immensely challenging if you push the tempo. Kolli Hills might have endless hair pin bends but its a one trick pony, this on the other hand, is just perfectly mixed up and I cant think of a truer test of both bike and rider. At a quick pace, you cant afford to drop your concentration or take liberties with assuming how the road will coil around just out of your sight. The roads are in excellent condition for most of the stretch so its a great ride, irrespective of whether you are toddling around or running hell for leather. Cross over at the nondescript border into Tamil Nadu and the road shrinks to two thirds of its width, so be warned. If there is one complaint, it's that there are just too many twisties to the extent that you eventually stop appreciating how wonderfully it all has come together.

Soon after you cross over into TN - Look at how much space one bus takes!

There were a few times when I had got into a turn too hot and had to rely on the brakes to get me out of trouble and even with the less than precise braking, the bike did extremely well. The lack of top end is never felt on rides like this because you have to call on mid range grunt every time you power out of corners and the Continental GT has that in spades. Combine that with great flickability (keep in mind, this is a Royal Enfield and their bikes take corners with less grace than tugboats) and you have the perfect combination for corner carving.

Silence interrupted only by chirping and the motorcycle's ticking

The Continental GT is not the bike that high speed adrenaline junkies want. The Continental GT is not the bike for those who want to blend in. The Continental GT is not the bike for those who want brag worthy power and wallet friendly mileage. The Continental GT is not the bike for those who want perennial reliability and abhor frequent visits to the service station. The Continental GT is not the bike for Royal Enfield purists. Truth be told, the Continental GT is not the bike for a lot of bikers. That doesn’t change the fact that, it is a wonderful motorcycle and for a ride like today’s, there isn’t any other bike that I would rather have had.

[barcalad]

This route remains a personal favourite. Beautiful roads with sparse traffic.

Here's my partner-in-solitude at the same location as in your last photo.

[neil.jericho]

The two rubber hoses giving up in quick succession were the final push that I needed to get to the company service centre (near the Madiwala lake) for what was the bike's supposed 15K service. Given my low usage, I have been able to delay the service centre visit which last happened in October. I managed to get there early enough and armed with the check list from the bike's booklet, I confirmed to the Service Advisor that I wanted the spark plug to be changed. In addition to this I asked for the two worn out hoses to be replaced and the fitting of a new clutch and accelerator cable. The 15K service is basically an inspect and adjust service with the spark plug being the only real company specified replacement.


The only downside of the new service centre is that customers dont have a waiting lounge like the old one did which is a considerable oversight. It was quite funny having to play musical chairs with other waiting customers given that there were only 3 chairs available. Of course one has the option of sitting downstairs in the small showroom but I always prefer to be have the bike in my sight where I can go up and talk to the mechanic if needed. There was another yellow GT owned by an Arsenal fan with a rather unique tyre combination - the front had Michelin Sirac 100/90 18 (arent these rear tires?) and the back had a MRF 4.25 18.


The SA suggested that I try the 'Platinum' spark plug which comes with improved performance and costs Rs 600 odd but I insisted on the Bosch one that comes on the stock bike. The breakup of the overall service is below, the ownership costs do appear to be rather reasonable.

Labour description Rate Amount (including all taxes)
General Service 500 575
Consumable 1 100 115
Total 690

Parts
NR61 Throttle Cable Assembly Twin Cable 393.01 450
PAV Hose Airfilter 182.53 209
Breather Pipe 16x10x370 61.14 70.01
Clutch cable 82.72 97
Spark Plyg WQR8DC 137.12 157
Total 983.01

Labour + Parts = Rs 1673

I was out by 11:45 and gave positive feedback praising both the Service Advisor Dayalan and the helpful mechanic (whose name I have unfortuntely forgotten by now) for their good work. Once again another positive experience with the service centre.


Himalayan Test Ride
Once the work was well under way, I decided to take a quick test ride of the Himalayan from the RE showroom and I was blown away by the ride quality. The bike just dismisses potholes and rough patches of roads (of which Bangalore has seemingly no shortage) as well as no road conditions (tried it on a small stretch) with a smirk of disdain and impunity. Cynics will say that its only strength is its ride quality while its fans will say that Royal Enfield should have just named the bike the RQ410. But that's doing it a great disservice. The engine is peppy and fits in perfectly in the urban jungle where it pulls well enough to dart in and out of gaps with the greatest of ease. The seating position is supremely comfortable and a very far cry from my wrist torturing Continental GT. I am warming up to the dash as well which at first glance was just too busy. The pillion seat appears to be designed for a normal human being (cough cough KTM cough) and initial feedback from owners is that the bike can hold triple digit speeds with ease.


So why havent I plonked down a somewhat reasonable Rs 1.84 lacs for the Himalayan and sold the Continental GT already? Well, I am quite happy with the Continental GT and the Himalayan doesnt do enough to make me waver in my loyalty. The Continental GT has given me far more than I have expected in the close to 20 months of ownership. Two, and this might sound silly for a great all rounder like the Himalayan, but yes the desire for power. The Himalayan just doesnt have the solid grunt of the Continental GT which should be rather evident on spirited highway rides. Honestly, give me a multi cyclinder 600+ cc (the higher the better) Himalayan V2 that isnt much heavier than the currrent one with a wider fuel tank (this one feels a little narrow) in nicer colours (matte blue, matte green or matte red). Just make sure it doesnt come in yellow, I wouldnt want it stealing all the thunder from the Captain!

[amitc7]

@Neil - Can't we get better auxiliary switch gear than that ugly rocker thing?
I used to have a neat 4 switch box near the console, but I can't find a similar one in India

[arulpeem]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Himalayan Test Ride
So why havent I plonked down a somewhat reasonable Rs 1.84 lacs for the Himalayan and sold the Continental GT already? Well, I am quite happy with the Continental GT and the Himalayan doesnt do enough to make me waver in my loyalty.

I am in complete agreement with you Neil. If not for my trip to Leh, I would not have bought the Himalayan.The power and torque is the thing Himalayan misses when compared to the GT. And the brakes. My plan was to sell my GT to one of my colleagues who was very keen and he had it with me for a couple of weeks. But now he has backed out since his wife is saying no to a bike and he is unable to convince his wife. He is not even forty years old yet. Now I am postponing my decision to sell it until I return from my trip to Leh. Let me wait and watch what I decide.
Yesterday I went on a ride to Pondy in the Himalayan and I would say that cruising at 85 and overtaking at that speed was much more effortless in GT, just a small twist of the throttle without changing gears, but in the Himalayan I have to plan and do it and a downshift is a must many a times.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by amitc7

@Neil - Can't we get better auxiliary switch gear than that ugly rocker thing?
I used to have a neat 4 switch box near the console, but I can't find a similar one in India

Good question, I just havent got around to looking for a good replacement as I only use the bike on weekends and that too with minimal night riding. As of now, the switch is purely functional and does its job, so no complaints. Besides the bike has attention grabbing details that nobody notices the ugly little switch that doesnt stick out like a sore thumb.

Originally Posted by arulpeem

I am in complete agreement with you Neil. If not for my trip to Leh, I would not have bought the Himalayan.The power and torque is the thing Himalayan misses when compared to the GT. And the brakes. My plan was to sell my GT to one of my colleagues who was very keen and he had it with me for a couple of weeks. But now he has backed out since his wife is saying no to a bike and he is unable to convince his wife. He is not even forty years old yet. Now I am postponing my decision to sell it until I return from my trip to Leh. Let me wait and watch what I decide.
Yesterday I went on a ride to Pondy in the Himalayan and I would say that cruising at 85 and overtaking at that speed was much more effortless in GT, just a small twist of the throttle without changing gears, but in the Himalayan I have to plan and do it and a downshift is a must many a times.

Thanks for sharing your feedback Arulpeem, Im sure that you are one of few bikers in the country who owns both the Continental GT as well as the Himalayan.

I am most interested in hearing your experience with vibrations experienced on longer highway rides. For 400 - 500 km a day rides, I find that I need to keep my average indicated speed on long empty stretches below 100 kmph to ensure the vibes dont leave my posterior with aches and pains.

[VW2010]

For 400 - 500 km a day rides, I find that I need to keep my average indicated speed on long empty stretches below 100 kmph to ensure the vibes dont leave my posterior with aches and pains.

I still think the RE's above say 85-95KMPH will start transmitting the vibrations irrespective of the model. Most comfortable cruising speed with minimal vibrations has been around 80-85. Another thing i have noticed is your body weight. The higher the better meaning loading the bike up actually feels far more comfortable than riding it alone.

Both the bikes come slightly stiff and may be a tweak of the suspension can help. The GT IMHO with its bigger engine will probably "feel" more stable at those speeds compared to the smaller H. But the riding position is such that the GT vibrations are going to be spread directly into your shoulders, knees and back while because of much relaxed position of the H the vibrations will be muted at the shoulder.

Again my opinion is both can be rode at speed higher than 100 but i believe any RE bike is super comfortable between 75 to 85 or max 90 KMPH. Anything above is just not comfortable net-net.

[neil.jericho]

Phew that was quite some weekend! After having a profound impact on the world, both in and out of the ring, Muhammed Ali unfortunately passed away, the Doctor was in top form to grab an exciting victory number 114, Dan Hendo Henderson announced that he might hang up his gloves after a HoF worthy career and the plucky Brit Michael Bisping deservedly has UFC gold around his waist. Easily more memorable than all of these though was an unplanned solo 470 km round trip to Yercaud that just about had it all.


An old friend and I had planned a ride to Yercaud a few months ago but even though it didn’t materialize the itch to ride to the quaint little hill station has been gnawing away at me ever since. I had planned on doing a quick breakfast ride to Shoolagiri and after tanking up at Shell, the combination of negligible traffic and a mileage decimating right hand meant that I was at my destination ready to wolf down a masala dosa in no time. However the fabulous weather, lack of concrete plans for the rest of the day and the above mentioned itch meant that instead of turning back towards the ever chaotic Bangalore, I pressed on. I spotted a TVS bike being test ridden at Krishnagiri which I assumed was the new G310 but the exhaust which is similar to the Apache 200 and the small flyscreen above the headlight proved that it wasn’t the case. It was in a lovely shade of brown and sported a TVS sticker on the side as well. The ride to Salem was at just over triple digit speeds and the lack of traffic meant that it was quite a pleasant one. I pulled over a short distance ahead of one of my favourite stops on the route to take a short break and stretch.

With the R15 at around the same spot waaay back in 2010

There was a bit of road work happening as I was exiting Salem which halted proceedings for a while. I wanted to try the slow and steady approach of riding up the plentiful hairpin bends and endless turns that lead to Yercaud to see if I enjoyed it more than my usual ham fisted style. After 10 minutes of going easy on the throttle and trying to soak up the experience of riding in the hills, the temptation to go back to my old ways was too much and I gave up. Oh well, at least I tried. As always, the ride to Yercaud was just amazing and ensures that I will keep coming back for more.

The temperature in Yercaud was just perfect and I rode around to explore areas that I hadn’t been to before returning to the lake and taking a breather. It was too early for lunch in Shevaroys which is my usual destination so I decided to ride back and stop for lunch at A2B. In hindsight, I should have taken longer breaks as my posterior was starting to get a little uncomfortable on the ride back down to Salem. I stopped at a large supermarket and grabbed a few chocolates and refreshments to keep myself hydrated at the bustling town of Salem. The nice vegetarian meal and a few glasses of fresh juice at A2B were very welcome and I tanked up for the second time in the day before starting back for Bangalore.

I dropped my speeds to around the 90 kmph mark for remained of the journey and kept adjusting and changing my seating position to ease the discomfort but my posterior kept grumbling all through it. Stopping a couple of times helped to a small extent but everything changed once I spotted the dark rain clouds in the distance.

After riding through some light rains, I reached Hosur which was experiencing heavy showers and that of course meant that conditions had become treacherous. Almost all the cars slowed down to a snail’s pace but I soldiered on through the trying conditions and kept my headlight and spot lights on to ensure visibility. By the time I crossed over into Bangalore, large pools of water had submerged a lane or two in multiple places and as usual people were terrified of letting their cars wade through even an inch of water so they were all in a single file. After my recent experience with the Himalayan, I wondered what the Continental GT could do in these water logged conditions and after getting annoyed with all the pussyfooting by cars of all shapes and sizes, I decided to head on straight through the pools of water leaving the four wheelers far far behind.


Emboldened by the initial experience, I experimented with some standing and riding as well as minor off roading when traffic was at a standstill. Keep in mind, the higher bars allowed me to indulge in the stand and ride technique, I wouldn’t recommend it with the stock ones. Sure, the Continental GT is no Himalayan but show it some rough stuff and Im sure you will be impressed. After battling through traffic, I was back home by around 17:30 and despite being soaked and tired, I had a mile wide grin plastered on my face. Phew, that was quite some ride indeed!

[ku69rd]

Nice Stuff Neil, feels really good to read such short writeups on the rides.
Looks like the KTM handlebars are really good for you.

Regarding the vibes, Himalayan seems to be an exception and am unable to feel vibes (as i felt in my TB) at three digit speeds. Yes the engine is lazy and the gear box is sluggish but other features more than make up for the lack of speed.
Having said that, I would be very keen to see if we can have a brisker mid range on the Himalayan. Since my bike is just 2800 kms old, I will hold on for some more time before I start to fiddle with it.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I decided to head on straight through the pools of water leaving the four wheelers far far behind.

The tame animals sit inside cages. The wild ones ride on two wheels free as any man can ever be.

Loved reading the ride report and thanks for the beautiful pictures.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by bblost

The tame animals sit inside cages. The wild ones ride on two wheels free as any man can ever be.

What surprises me even more is....people with huge SUV also refuse to get into the water logged area and then they tow the line when they see a puny two wheeler can get across without any issue.