Thank you all for your kind words gentlemen. I am in the middle of a week long holiday and was planning on heading back to Bangalore early to give my bike to the service center to get the gearbox checked. As fate would have it, I met a gentleman from the St Marys Royal Enfield showroom (in Cochin) today evening and I was talking to him about the Continental GT. When I started explaining the problem with the gearbox he himself asked me if it refuses to shift from first to neutral when the bike it is on but easily shifts when it is off.
I said yes and he told me that it is a known problem with this model. When customers complain about it, they inform the head office here in Cochin and they in turn inform the company folks who might then send someone to look into it. No known solution from Royal Enfield yet! He also mentioned something about the SVC folks needing to take two days to resolve any issue with the Continental GT because every complaint is a new problem given that all of them have not been given training on this bike. I lost track of what he said after that because I was busy picking my jaw up from the floor....
One point which I forgot to mention in my last post was that the SVC folks told me that there was a noise coming from the front forks when the front brake was applied (though they could find no wrong with the front disc) which should not happen on a brand new (4 day old) bike. They adjusted the front forks and tightened them. I think Royal Enfield should rename the process PPDI - Partial Pre Delivery Inspection!
I plan on adding the pillion seat and footpegs at the first service. Earlier I was told this would cost Rs 3500 all inclusive. Last week I was told the seat is Rs 4000 and the footpegs are Rs 600 each which brings it to a round total of Rs 5200. The gentleman from St Marys Royal Enfield confirmed that it costs the same here in Cochin as well. I was planning on getting saddle bags and I was told that the ones from dirtsack are being used by someone in Cochin without any issue on his dual seat Continental GT. This is the product I am referring to.
http://www.dirtsack.in/products/long...ts/saddle-bags
I probably will pick this up once I get the dual seats put in.
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Originally Posted by tharian Congrats on purchasing the top bike from RE, Neil.
Although there are other members with the Conti on the forum, yours is the first review and please do keep it updated.
The yellow is a very rare color on the GT, all the ones I have seen on roads(a handful) a red. The best part being that the yellow is not a bad yellow, it suits the bike perfectly and carries it of.
I have been eying the GT for months now. I had done a couple of test rides. Hated the sound, but loved the way it moved for a RE. It was a perfect upgrade from my 96' 500. Hopefully, I will join you soon.
I had the same dilemma as you. The D390, Inazuma , TB500 and the Conti. Being a RE crack, it was the TB500 (mind) and Conti(heart) .
But like you had the Ducati , I have the Ninja 300
It is sad that there still niggles , especially on a more export oriented bike like the GT. Regarding the gear not falling to first, did you check the clutch lever adjustment?From what the Service Center said, I am guessing it is a result of the plates not fitted in well. It is a small job.
Enjoy the bike and ride safe. |
Thank you tharian. As you can see the gearbox issue is a well known design characteristic (sounds so much better than flaw) and I guess I will have to live with it until RE can figure out a solution. The shade of yellow really suits this bike and I would be hard pressed to name another Indian bike that can pull it off. As for the sound, there is an alternate exhaust that is available for sale for Rs 4000 IIRC. The gentleman from St Marys RE told me that there isnt too much of a perceptible difference in power but it does sound a whole lot better. Maybe that can be on your shopping list when you buy your Continental GT. Note I didnt say if you buy your Continental GT .....
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Originally Posted by Haroon Wonderful write up and nice to see a ownership experience of the new Continental GT. Its indeed a really stunning looking bike from RE.
Ride safe and wish you many many miles of enjoyable motoring |
Thank you Haroon, I have always enjoyed your knowledge filled educative posts that have helped me learn so much about biking.
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Originally Posted by ArizonaJim Neil: Thank you for a most excellent write-up.
The front brake dragging is not normal for the CGT or any other vehicle. It must be fixed by the RE mechanics. (I would explain the process but you indicated you are not mechanically inclined).
The most likely cause is the brake fluid has been overfilled and this excess fluid is causing the brake pads to rub on the disk.
There is really no adjustment that can be done on a disk brake but bleeding the system to remove any excess fluid should repair the problem.
As this problem can happen with the rear disk brake too, ask them to check the fluid level on that master cylinder while they are repairing the front disk brake.
As for not being able to shift the transmission into neutral when the motorcycle is stopped, that is most likely due to the clutch not fully releasing when the clutch lever is pulled in to the max.
Looking at the clutch lever from the front of the bike, apply a small amount of pressure to the lever. Just enough to cause it to remove the slop in the system.
In this position, you should see a gap between the lever where the cable is installed to the fixed portion of the brake lever. The gap should be about 2 to 3 mm.
If it is greater than this, you have found the problem.
The mechanics should be able to easily adjust the cable to set the gap in just a few minutes.
If the gap is 2-3mm (or less) the problem is most likely with the clutch plates inside the engine.
In this case, the RE mechanics will have to remove the left hand side cover and replace the defective parts.
Jim |
Thank you Jim, I was hoping my thread would catch your eye as I knew that I would get a technical perspective on the issues I was facing. The folks at the SVC did spend a lot of time adjusting the clutch play when I went there but they weren't able to resolve the issue. The gearbox headache seems to be a known gremlin though I will get the brakes bled soon. I will definitely get the gearbox opened and checked during the first service but if RE cannot provide a solution I do not expect the folks at the SVC to be able to work miracles. I will write to the higher ups in RE though voicing my concerns after the first service. I will keep this thread updated with any and all technical solutions from RE (even if I dont really understand them!)
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Originally Posted by r_nairtvm Hi Neil,
Congratualtion on the new CGT and really liked the style of your writing.
For a Cafe racer configuration, what you need is "Bar End RVMs". Get a set at the earliest and your pain in this area will be taken care of.
For your info, the CGT is going great guns in UK. I was told by some one associated with the UK distributor of RE, that they are selling more that 20 units every month in UK. I guess the nostalgia notwithstanding, the bike must be more reliable than the others and hence the off take.
Best Regards & Ride Safe
Ram |
Thanks Ram! I have been following your posts with the Bonnie and they really have been informative and helpful for potential Triumph owners as well as for guys like me who hopefully will be in a position to make a decision on buying a big bike somewhere down the line. The bar end RVMs look smashing indeed but in the real world I do not think they will be a very practical solution. I am most worried about office parking lots where carelessness in bikers is the norm rather than the exception.
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Originally Posted by B O V Congrats Neil!First full length review of the Conti here on t-bhp.Eagerly awaiting your long term riding impressions.
Excellent write up.Enjoyed the read.The bit on braking behaviour of old Enfields struck home for me .I lean slightly towards the front aswell.
In that picture of 3 Contis,the one on the far left has a different tailamp.Is that an available accessory?
As you said,in the looks department,definitely it is one good lookin motorcycle.Initially I was a bit disappointed since they really didn't up the ante(read twin) in the power department.I suppose that is something that may take a long time to change.
I'm curious,did you spot the Conti first at the showroom on Chittoor road?I've only seen one so far here in Cochin(Red). |
Thanks B O V, and here I thought I had eagle eyes! I must say I am impressed that you caught the tail lamp, I missed it and unfortunately do not know anything about it. Yes, it was the Chittoor road showroom. I believe there is one at Edapally as well (before you hit the signal when you come from Aluva) IIRC which seems to be the head office though I could be wrong.
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Originally Posted by mobike008 Neil, congratulations on the Continental GT. It's indeed a looker. I was terribly impressed by their video advertisment which was really lovely
Great write up too. Look forward to more pictures of your bike
Ram, its a bullet and whatever you do RVM will always remain a fashion accessory after 60kmph and for some maximum till 80kmph
My bullet's RVM becomes completely hazy post 60kmph and will just indicate there is someone in it without giving any clue about distance and sometimes you cannot even make out if its a 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler in the mirror |
Thanks mobike008. I am a big fan of your Bonnie thread, keep the good posts flowing. I agree on the RVMs, at times its looks as if the Batmobile is chasing me while at other times all I see is oval shaped flying saucers. Enough to make one feel that they are an extra on a sci fi flick!