[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I know a few people are interested in the suspension modifications that a few other Team BHPians and I are experimenting with on our Royal Enfields, so I thought it best to provide a quick update on the latest sporty / road racing side suspension setup. As a quick reminder, with the preload adjusters installed (and not dialled in at all) the sag on the front end can only be set to what is a sporty / road racing setting. To match that, I have set the sag on the rear to be what falls under the sporty / road racing numbers. I was expecting it to be really stiff in the real world.

I did some 60 - 100 kmph highway riding of the Continental GT 535 with this road racing setup and honestly, it now feels like a thoroughbred motorcycle. As speeds increase, it feels solid like a rock and super P L A N T E D. I distinctly recall looking down at the bike and wondering whether it was the same old comfortable and slightly wallowy Continental that I have owned for so long. How it has transformed in feel, just with the right suspension settings. Amazing!

Insurance Renewal
I renewed the insurance for both my bikes through Coverfox again. I continued with the New India Assurance Company as their rates were reasonable compared to the competition.
IDV : Rs 82,738
No Claim Bonus : 50%
Own Damage Premium : Rs 205
Third Party Premium : Rs 2,323
GST : Rs 455
Total : Rs 2,983

So far I havent had any insurance claims with the Continental GT 535 and I hope it stays that way for years to come.

I usually sign off with a recent picture of the bike from a short ride. But the last time I took the bike out was to do the highway speed suspension testing, and I was enjoying the experience so much, that I didnt even bother to stop at the usual spots. I was loving it so much that I didnt stop riding until I got back home. So, for a change, here is a picture of my other motorcycle from a recent ride.

[Sran]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

They had also replaced the centre stand which had actually become a bit problematic for me recently. Due to the weak battery, I had to always put the bike on the centre stand and kick start it. However, getting the bike off the centre stand was becoming tough as the bike would slide forward.

I don't understand, why would you need to put your bike in center stand in order to kick start it? I have owned many bikes albeit more than a decade ago but have driven some every year so what am I missing, is this some new phenomenon? Normally one removes the stand(side or center) and kick the bike and it starts, why do you need to put the bike on stand in order to kick?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Sran

I don't understand, why would you need to put your bike in center stand in order to kick start it? I have owned many bikes albeit more than a decade ago but have driven some every year so what am I missing, is this some new phenomenon? Normally one removes the stand(side or center) and kick the bike and it starts, why do you need to put the bike on stand in order to kick?

My pant used to get caught on the edge of the footpeg, if I used to kickstart it without the bike being on the centre stand. And there is a particular technique to kick starting it, as well. Hence, I always preferred to have it on the centre stand for kickstarting duties. That said, I havent had to do so in several months, maybe two years now.

[neil.jericho]

Here is a short update after almost a month. I found that some nincompoop had tried to take off the cheap phone holder that I had on the bike and in the process, he had broken the ball clamp. This was when it was parked in our apartment's parking lot! I need to replace the phone holder with another inexpensive one.

Since I couldnt find the time to step out for a short ride or indulge in weekend rides, I did a quick trip to the airport and took the long way home. All in, I probably did around 75 kilometers. With the double seat, this wasnt a really comfortable ride. I need to reconsider my decision to postpone the upholstery work on the OEM double seat.

Even though the bike hasnt done 3,000 kilometers on the current Shell fully synthetic engine oil, it feels like it is time for a change. The engine is starting to become a bit gruff and is strongly hinting that it needs new engine oil. I have some cans of the Shell and Amsoil fully synthetic engine oil, in the 15W50 rating. I probably will run the Shell for around 2,000 kms and then replace it with the Amsoil, which is rated very highly by motorcyclists.

Signing off with a picture of a rare yellow Royal Enfield. This one grabs double the eyeballs that my bike would.

[neil.jericho]

Since the motorcycle has completed 7 years, I decided to take the bike for a quick service to my trusted F Motors. I carried the Shell fully synthetic 15W50 engine oil, an oil filter and an air filter with me. The old oil had run less than 2,700 kms in the last year and was already jet black! The air filter needed to be replaced as well. Overall, another short but very positive service experience with F Motors.

New Shell fully synthetic 15W50 oil being poured in


The old dusty air filter

Why such a simple service this time, you might ask? Well, the bike has been feeling a little neglected of late and age has been catching up with it. Thanks to Covid, my plans for injecting some new life into the bike got delayed by a year. Soon, the Continental GT is heading to a garage for a complete strip down and some well deserved TLC. The last few weeks have been spent in planning and procuring the parts required for this exciting rejuvenation project.

This thread can never have enough pictures. Before I sign off with some pictures from a short ride through Fort Cochin, I must share this funny incident. While riding through town, a young chap on a scooter pulled up alongside me and without even looking in my direction, asked "Bro, isnt your bike supposed to have 2 exhausts?" I was caught off guard since I was in motion and he was riding beside me. I said "No, no, this is an old bike. Only one exhaust". Without looking at me, he said OK and sped off!

[neil.jericho]

Thanks to the awful weather and the persistent rains, there really isnt all that much to report on the Continental GT 535. Ive been pottering around town with the bike and its been a faithful companion for everything that Ive thrown at it. The front suspension might need to be tweaked a bit as it no longer has the firm feeling that I really liked. Or maybe Ive got used to the current settings and am looking for a bit more feel from the front end.

The plans of dropping the bike off for the mid life makeover have been washed away with the rains. Hopefully, that can happen sometime in the next month. Ive already procured all the parts for it and gone through 4 (or maybe 5) different absolutely final paint schemes for the bike! Hopefully, I dont chance upon anything that catches my eye and makes me change my mind again.

Mileage: Ive moved all my vehicles onto XP95, even if I am hard pressed to find any real difference on the Continental GT 535. On my Triumph, there is a slight improvement with the better fuel. Despite a convincing pitch from KarthikK, I am yet to try out XP100 which costs around Rs 160/litre. I wont be experimenting with it on the Continental GT 535, that is for certain. Distance covered : 226.7 kms. Petrol consumed : 7.42 litres. Mileage: 30.55 kmpl. Mileage since day 1 goes up to 28.23 kmpl.

Long time readers will know of my eternal infatuation with the Kawasaki ZX10R. A few weeks ago, I got to ride my friend's bike for a fair distance and it was everything that I thought that it would be. And more. I loved riding the ZX10R while also being equally terrified of the relentless acceleration. And this was without me even getting out of the prodigious mid range. The way the revs climb, even with a gentle wrist, is just mind boggling.

A litre class sports bike is just too much of a motorcycle for me to be able to use in Kerala. Or, if I am being honest, anywhere in India. As much as it pains me to say it, I think I am a middleweight sports bike kind of guy.

Picture courtesy - The Silent Lensman

[neil.jericho]

The Continental GT 535 finally hit the 29K mark on the odometer today! Thanks to the last 5 months of continuous monsoon rains and the second motorbike in my garage, there werent any recent rides of note. But all that is set to change with the plans for an upcoming ride to one of my favourite parts of the country. Though the bike was recently serviced, I wanted to get a couple of things looked at before I started packing for the trip. Somehow the front end didnt feel perfect and on further analysis, I narrowed it down to
- the front suspension having a bit of dive
- the front brakes not being as sharp as they were
- the steering feel was not as solid as I liked it to be

I booked an appointment with Sanju from F Motors and below is a short update of everything that was done.

- Slight play in the right handlebar
Before we could get started, Sanju noticed that there was a slight play in the right handlebar. I had incorrectly assumed that one of the bolts needed to be tightened and had put it off for later. After some poking and prodding, Sanju discovered that one of the screws wasnt sitting flush with the handlebar. We removed it and fixed it back tightly. I will need to get it replaced with a new one soon.

Errant part. No such problems on the other handlebar

Brake Fluid replacement
F Motors has this nifty Brake Liquid Tester that basically checks the percentage of water content in the brake fluid. I had replaced the front brake fluid less than a year ago but I didnt have the same confidence in the feel of the front brake, as I did a few months ago. The tester said that the water percentage was more than 4% and that was enough for us to change the existing brake fluid to Bosch DOT 4 brake fluid.

Old brake fluid, doesnt look too bad


The tester disagreed with my assessment


The bike scored the highest 4% and above for both front and rear


Bosch DOT4 brake fluid to the rescue


Aah, clean brake fluid !


The old brake fluid at the rear


All set now

Cone set tightening
There was a hint of free play in the steering, so I asked for it to be tightened. I need to ride it a bit to see if I am happy with the current setup.

Motorcycle footpeg feeler delete
I only recently noticed that the OEM left footpeg still had the long feeler on it while the right one, which was replaced at some point of time, didnt have the feeler. Sitting on the bike and moving it around in the parking lot is a lot easier without the feelers, so we got the one on the left footpeg removed.

Suspension sag adjustment
First things first, here are the current baseline settings
Rider Weight - 86 - 87 kgs
Fork Oil - Liqui Moly 5W Lite
Age of Fork Oil - 11 months and 1,800 kms
Preload settings on Marsh Auto adjusters - 6 visible rings above the triple clamp (i.e. base setting with no preload is dialled in)
Threads visible on the rear suspension - 8 threads

The final row in the table below, taken from this post in August, is the setting that we had finalized on. At that time, the sag was 28mm at the front.

Now, the front suspension had noticeably more dive than before and we suspected that the fork oil was wearing out a bit faster than what we had anticipated. We decided to check the sag and work with the Marsh preload adjusters to eliminate it. Do note that this time we used a dial type vernier caliper and not a tape, so the accuracy will be higher with this method. On the flip side, I have to be conservative with the force I use for L3, as the vernier caliper gives very exact readings. Now to do some real world testing on some of my regular roads to see how this fares.

As always, it was another excellent experience working with Sanju and the bike feels like it is in top nick and is all set for the upcoming ride. Meanwhile, I am checking the weather sites to see if there is a possibility of rain!

Signing off with a picture of the Continental GT 535, because this thread can never have enough pictures.

[neil.jericho]

For quite a while now, I had plans of replacing the padding on the OEM double seat of the Continental GT 535 and replacing it with an aftermarket one. Even when it was new, the padding wasnt all that great and on full day rides, the cushioning was rather inadequate. Even though the OEM double seat hasnt been used extensively by me over the last 7 years, the cushioning is now not sufficient for long rides.

I like to think that Royal Enfield learnt a big trick, or two, with this seat before they realized the error of their ways and course corrected themselves. The touring seat of the 650 twins, is a must buy and it took their mistakes of the GT 535 and other bikes, for Royal Enfield to arrive at the right combination with the 650 twins.

Anyways, I thought I will get the seat upgrade done when I ride down to Bangalore but thanks to Covid, all those plans got shelved. I saw a recommendation of Classic Seat Makers on this forum and after asking around in the local riding community, I got good feedback on their work. It is located opposite the KSRTC garage in Aluva and the easy landmark is the metro pillar number 90. If you are heading into town, it is just before the huge IOCL pump.

Long story short
+ work is good
+ prices arent cheap but they arent too expensive either
- wishy washy communication
- zero adherence to committed timelines

Thanks to the information packed Royal Enfield 650 thread, I had shortlisted a few seat design options and after discussing with fellow TBHPians, I eventually narrowed it down to what nasirkaka had done on his Interceptor.

Which is this

I visited Classic Seat Makers earlier in the week and told them what I wanted to be done. However, I was very particular that I wanted the stitching to be in yellow, to match the colour of my bike. They said that they will have to procure the thread but they werent too keen on putting it on the seat. They asked me to come in the morning at 9 AM so that I would be the first customer of the day. The time they committed was a maximum of 3 hours. Even on an earlier visit to them, they said that it would take a total of 3 hours.

Here are some pictures of other seats that they have done.

Seat Upgrade Time
I reached Classic Seat Makers by 9:20 AM or so and I was the first customer of the day. There are two types of cushions that are available. One is a preset mould and the other is a thick padding that is cut and shaped. In all my previous visits, they said either one can be used. But when I went there, they said only the mould can be used. I was indifferent to which was taken, as it would anyways be an improvement over the OEM seat, but I found it unusual that they had u-turned so quickly. There was more to come.

On the yellow stitching, they said that they have to go into town to get the thread and that it wasnt going to look nice at all. They even went so far as to mention that it will fade very quickly and that it wont be a good choice etc. Finally I had to pull up pictures of the upgraded single seat with yellow stitching from this thread and show it to them, for them to move on. Now if you are not aware of these things, it is easy to get carried away by their "expert" opinion but I was insistent that they get the thread. They even tried convincing me that the upgraded single seat used a golden thread and not a yellow thread and I had to insist that it was yellow. Finally they agreed to go and procure the yellow thread. All so unnecessary ....

The seat is removed and taken in


The old seat cushioning side by side with the new one


An "Interceptor" seat that is pretty close to what nasirkaka has done


The same seat placed on top of the GT 535 to see how it looks

I told them that I wanted some padding to be added to the sides, similar to nasirkaka's seat. I was told that the padding can be added and two minutes later, the same guy told me that the mould is preset and that they cant add padding to the side. Which one is true? God alone knows. Again, so unnecessary.

I planned to watch the work being done but after getting the seat in their hands, the completion time suddenly became 2 PM! When I asked how come 3 hours of work time magically became 4.5 hours, they started beating around the bush. Another strike

Annoyed, I took the metro and came back to town. When I returned at 2:30 PM, unsurprisingly, the work was still not done. I was finally out only by 3:15 PM which was almost 6 hours after they collected the seat.

Here is the seat cover getting the first line of yellow stitches


And now the second line


Getting stapled onto the seat tray


And finally installed on the bike

Cost
I paid a total of Rs 2,800 for the seat, which is what they had told me earlier as well. Whether you take the moulded cushion with a cover, or opt for the thick padding that they shape, the cost is the same. For the type of work they do, I wont complain.

Initial impressions on the seat
The seat height has been raised by a fair bit. I cant flat foot like I used to be able to do earlier. And the higher seat height means that the seating position has become a lot more sporty, as it puts more pressure on my arms. I need to get adjusted to this position. But the trade off is well worth it. It feels like I am sitting on a sofa.

One nitpick that I have is that the stitching on the side for the rider, is a lot lower than what is is on the model that I showed and the one that is hanging in their store. I would have preferred it to match what was promised. But this is aesthetic and not functional. The funny part is that the same guys at the store who were trying to convince me that yellow will not look good for the stitching, were telling me that the final output is very good!

Final thoughts on Classic Seat Makers
It helps if you do your research and go prepared with what you want, before dealing with them. The workmanship is good. The guy who does the fitting work was apparently working in a store in JC Road for a very long time. But all this flimsy communication and no respect for timelines are things that have to be improved. Just being transparent from the beginning will help make the whole experience so much better. Why not say it will take 5 hours? Why say 3 hours and then make it 6 hours? Why say side padding can be added and then 2 minutes later say that it cant?

Right now, Classic Seat Makers is one of the preferred places to go to in Cochin and as things stand, I will recommend them solely based on the output. If only the quality of their customer interactions matched the quality of their work.

P.S - There is a side room with a stool where I found other customers waiting in the afternoon. They didnt tell me about this is the morning when I told them that I will be waiting for them to do the work. If you are going there and want to wait while your bike is being worked on, ensure that you get to sit in the room.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

[b][center]Attachment 2240138

What happened to the bend pipe here?



Maybe if you were riding to Bangalore anytime soon, you could have done it here at Rao's (Shivajinagar). I haven't visited him in a while, but all the work he has done on re-padding the stock seat , new seat covers, and a single seat for my old 500 were good work.

I kinda didn't like the look of this, but that is my judgement from the pictures. More important is the comfort on long rides.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by tharian

What happened to the bend pipe here?

Maybe if you were riding to Bangalore anytime soon, you could have done it here at Rao's (Shivajinagar). I haven't visited him in a while, but all the work he has done on re-padding the stock seat , new seat covers, and a single seat for my old 500 were good work.

I kinda didn't like the look of this, but that is my judgement from the pictures. More important is the comfort on long rides.

There has been some recent discolouration at the bend pipe, I dont know why. Im planning to get the exhaust rechromed soon, so that should sort things out once and for all.

Rao's was where I had intended to get the seat work done but I havent been to Bangalore in almost 2 years. And I dont know when I can come next. So I chose this option in Cochin.

Honestly, I too am not a big fan of the looks of the current seat. It looks a bit too big considering the proportions of the rest of the bike and does have hints of classic UJM bikes. But after a few hours of riding with this setup, I can confirm that the seat is really comfortable. I am willing to put up with the slightly increased pressure on my wrists, because I can finally sit on a real sofa and ride. This seat will reduce fatigue on long distance trips. That said, I might reduce the height by a quarter of an inch or so, if it can improve the rider triangle while providing the same levels of seating comfort.

[neil.jericho]

And just like that, another 12 months have passed by and 2021 draws to an end. A couple of recent weekend rides were with Triumph owners to nearby locations. I didnt enjoy too much other riding in December since I was busy with Christmas. The city was very brightly lit up and celebrated the festival in a manner that made up for the dull and lost 2020.

Looking back at my mileage tracker, I realized that I rode the Continental GT 535, more in the 3.5 months (between mid Sep and Dec) of 2014, after taking delivery of the bike, than I did in the whole of 2021. And I also rode my Triumph a lot more in 2021, than I did the Continental GT. Hopefully all of that can be rectified in the coming year.

As the sun has set for the final time on 2021, here is wishing you and your near and dear ones, a very blessed, happy, healthy and prosperous 2022. May it be filled with lots of rides and two wheeled additions to your garage!

[dinu2506]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Signing off with a picture of a rare yellow Royal Enfield. This one grabs double the eyeballs that my bike would.

Attachment 2213291

I wouldn't give this a second look, definitely not one having that horrible Greaves Cotton Diesel engine.

[neil.jericho]

When my riding buddy posted a message asking if I was up for a ride to Kochareekkal caves and waterfall, I was quick to say yes. I had no idea where this place was located, how far it was from town, what the ride entailed and so on. But I was starting to get bored of the same old Sunday morning destinations and hence, I readily agreed to join the ride. When I saw that the distance was less than 40 kilometers from town, I decided to take the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535. Thank goodness I did. More on that later.

We had two Triumph Tiger 800s, one Xpulse 200 and my Royal Enfield. Our first quick stop was at the Ooramana Peruvamuzhy bridge. Its easier to pronounce than it is to spell.

After that, Google maps took us down some very narrow, broken, winding roads including a very steep section that could only be climbed in first gear on the GT 535. Just seeing the sudden elevation on that particular road made me heart go in my mouth. The best part was that we barely crossed any other vehicles during this time and kept riding past gorgeous rubber and pineapple plantations. It was a challenging but fun ride for me on the Continental GT 535. For the first time in a long time, I missed its raised handlebar setup that I had for quite some time. The bikes that my friends had, were completely in their element, but later on even they found things to be a handful.

Once we reached our destination, we left our bikes and gear at the pay and park and walked down to the small caves and the pool below. The size of the tree roots was quite something.

On our return, we stopped to have some tea and the locals suggested that we ride alongside a nearby canal and go to the second entry of the main Areekal caves. That gate was closed but it made for a entertaining and unexpected diversion.

While navigating through all the lightly broken roads and gravel traps, I remember thinking to myself that two bikes in particular would have been a lot of fun today
- the Yezdi Scrambler (I have a good gut feel about this bike)
- the oh wait, let me not name the overpriced Japanese twin cylindered beauty that is perfect for these sort of rides.

Guess what? While we stopped for a break on our way back, my friends were discussing that the Honda CB500X would have been quite apt for this enjoyable Sunday morning ride. So much for me not naming it and showering this thread with my affection for the little Honda.

All in all, this was a fun, short and sweet ride and I look forward to exploring more of this beautiful part of Kerala in 2022.

[neil.jericho]

A few days after my Sunday morning ride to Kochareekkal caves, I was running some errands when I noticed that the slight play in the right handlebar had made an unfortunate return. Since then, the bike was grounded and I waited for stars to align so that I could take the Continental GT 535 to F Motors to get the troublesome screw sorted out, even if it was temporarily. A few days ago, we did a short term fix and the bike was ready to ride.

The screw ...


And where it goes

Meanwhile, I got flagged down by a cop during a routine police check and I realized that the PUC on my bike had expired. I am usually always on top of this and for the life of me, I cannot figure out how I had let this slip under my radar. Anyways, I paid up the fine and got the document on the same day. I cant remember ever being fined by the cops and now in the short duration of a few months, Ive been fined for overspeeding and for not having a valid PUC.

2 wheeler colonoscopy

After months of planning to drop the motorcycle off at Motonerdz for its mid life makeover, I decided to not postpone the pending trip any longer. The day the handlebar got fixed, I called up the team in Trivandrum and told them that I would drop off the Continental GT 535 on the very next day.

Normally, I ride down to Allepey, turn left and go to Changanaserry and then take the MC Road to Trivandrum. This time, the road to Changanaserry was closed due to some ongoing work, so I had to ride down to Ambalapuzha and then turn left to Thiruvalla. Needless to say, the crazy traffic on the Allepey to Ambalapuzha route was a massive headache but the moment I turned towards Thiruvalla, all that was left behind. From there, it was smooth sailing all the way to Trivandrum. The MC Road really is a God send. Even though it takes an additional 15 - 20 minutes of travel time from Cochin to Trivandrum, your mental stress and fatigue is 10% of the usual Cochin - Kollam - Trivandrum route that is filled with murderers and sociopaths in vehicles of all shapes and sizes.

Taking a breather along the way


Yes, I did stick to the speed limit at all times ....

As for the ride itself, it was fine. The new seat is very comfortable but this long ride made me understand that it needs to be tweaked substantially. I had filled up with IOCL's XP95 on the day before the ride and though I did more than 220 kms on it when I reached Motonerdz, the fuel gauge indicated that there was at least 30% fuel left. I am certain that I was on track to get a 40+ kmpl figure for the Cochin to Trivandrum ride.

Anyways, the bike is now in the expert hands of the team at Motonerdz and the list of things to be done is quite long indeed. I am working with them to finalize the paintjob scheme.

Brilliant disguise

For now, I have the keys to this Interceptor 650 with 17 inch wheels, preload adjusters at the front, the master cylinder from the KTM 390s for the front and a light aftermarket exhaust. This bike is fun, fun and did I mention, fun. While I love the stock Interceptor 650, this is the souped up version of the bike that you need, if you are an owner looking to inject a healthy quotient of sporty fun into an already brilliant motorcycle. I would add adjustable levers. Thats it. I will post some feedback on the Royal Enfield 650 thread regarding these upgrades to the handling, braking and suspension.

The Continental GT 535 is a lovely motorcycle that does some things very well. This souped up Interceptor 650 is a whole different animal that can do almost everything brilliantly. What a gem of an engine. And what an amazing platform to build your own dream bike.

[Viju]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

After months of planning to drop the motorcycle off at Motonerdz for its mid life makeover

That's great news, Neil. Eagerly waiting to see your GT with a fresh lease of life!

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

And what an amazing platform to build your own dream bike.

So true. I booked my GT650 two weeks ago here in Yokohama, and hoping to get delivery by the end of January. I may not get much riding time for the first couple of months due to the rather harsh winter, but on the flip side, that gives me enough time for all the DIY enhancements that I have planned.

I am also from Cochin. Hope to meet you in person sometime.

One short test ride and I fell in love with the GT650, and yours and a couple of other threads convinced me that this is the motorcycle I want. Thanks again!