[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I've often wondered why old timers had so little faith in Royal Enfield after taking delivery of their bikes, today I got to learn it the hard way.

Neil it's absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable that they can make you wait for a tire for 2 months, then ASK YOU TO COME DOWN, make you wait all day and tell you that they don't have stock.

How complicated can it possibly be, they either have it or they don't! Why the lack of transparency and absolute disrespect towards a customer who owns the most expensive vehicle from your stable?

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

If this is the state of affairs when it comes to sourcing a bike tire for the premium product in its lineup which has been on sale for some time, what lies in store for potential Himalayan owners who will have to contend with sourcing 21 inch tires that aren’t even available in the market?

Really sad to hear about the anxiety caused by a simple tyre not being available for your bike. In fact, as much as I drooled over the looks and specs of the GT, I always had this in mind that someday.. when the adjustable shocks or the Brembo discs start giving problems, there will be no way other than to replace these parts. I even remember asking a friend who's brother bought the GT as an impulsive buy about availability of tyres and he said, based on his past experience, they shouldn't be hard to get in Bangalore.

The guys at RE putting in these imported goodies haven't looked into the long term sourcing of these parts for customers and this is a big problem specially in India.

Try sourcing the tyres via e-bay or something.

[unk9ja]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Soul Brother Spotting : At the Mahindra Mojo test ride, we had a rider with a yellow Karizma that had a round headlight and a wind deflector. Very nice indeed.

That belongs to Sarath, my friend. He was offering the TD's at most of the places. Well the soul brother also has a RE as his garage mate and now a Mojo. You can speak to him about the RE issues. He knows quiet a number of fellows in the RE rank as he was also into organising the Desert raids in Rajasthan by the RE.

[neil.jericho]

Cat Stevens’ all time classic has been echoing through my head for all the wrong reasons and after depending on Royal Enfield for 6 achingly long weeks, it was time to smarten up and get back to good old fashioned biking. The first thing I did on Monday was to head to the nearby tyre store and get Ceat’s Vertigo Sport in the stock specification of 100/90 18 fitted up front. I must thank unk9ja for his wonderful thread “Ka gets Leh'd and beyond - On a KTM Duke 390” (shod with the same Vertigo Sport), in which he has chronicled his experience of riding from Bangalore to Leh and back in exquisite fashion and given fantastic real world feedback on the tires.

Old front tire


New front tire (additional spokes to main people dumb enough to cross the road in moving traffic)

Removal and fitting didn’t take too long and while they were at it I took it upon myself to examine the rear tire and much to my dismay I noticed that a nice little crack had made a most unwelcome debut. Given that it is an 18”er I didn’t have too many options, after checking on Ceat’s closest offerings, I gave the go ahead for a Ceat Zoom 120/80 (tubeless) to replace the 130/70 after adding a new tube.

Old rear tire


New rear tire

Getting the rear wheel off though took them some time and getting it back on took even longer. The total cost breakup is as follows

Ceat Vertigo Sport 100/90 18 : Rs 2350
Ceat Vertigo Zoom 120/80 18 : Rs 2750
New tube : 350
Total cost : Rs 5450

That’s quite a light dent on the wallet really. I cant comment on the experience with these tires as they over inflated the front tire substantially. Once I figure out the right air pressures and get the tires scrubbed in, I will report back. For now, Im thrilled to be back on two wheels.


I was talking to the owner of shop and he was telling me that these Pirellis are too soft for actual usage in Indian road conditions and since the company didn’t have an Indian manufacturing setup, they aren’t really paying too much attention to Indian buyers. Nothing new, it’s the same story that other dealers have told me as well. Net net, if your PSDs do have a manufacturing defect, you are fresh out of luck.


I did finally receive a call from the gentleman who is the service head and he said that the tire has been dispatched and they should be getting it in a few days. When I explained that I had already fit a set of Ceats and that I had no use for a PSD, he said that the tire has been dispatched specifically for me and is free of cost and that I should collect it once it arrives. Better late than never, I suppose. Now to think of some practical uses for an extra tire without messing up my home.


I must take a moment to thank several gentlemen on this wonderful forum who had reached out to me over the last few days and offered to help me source the elusive front PSD through their contacts. I only hope I can repay your offers of kindness some day in some way, shape or form.


At the end of this tiring tire-gate (see what I did there) misadventure here are 7 simple questions to sum up my feelings
1. Am I happy that I finally have a usable bike after 6 weeks? Extremely!
2. Am I happy that I had to opt for these Ceats? Nope, then again I didn’t really have a choice.
3. Are the Ceats bad tires? Not at all, its just that they are designed and built for a purpose that isn’t in line with the Continental GT’s performance mantra.
4. Will I have to modify my usage and sacrifice some sporty riding? I would be a fool not to.
5. Will I be able to keep those rip snorting D390’s in sight on weekend rides? Don’t think so, the PSDs kept me in their RVMs.
6. How disappointed am I with Royal Enfield? Massively would be quite an understatement.
7. Will I have to worry about replacing these tires 12 months from now? To borrow a line from everyone’s favourite rattlesnake – Oh hell no!

[neil.jericho]

With Bangalore’s traffic having come down significantly on account of the holidays, commuting to work on the Continental GT gave me such a kick in the pants. And just like that, once again I was back in love with the bike, Royal Enfield’s lethargic support system notwithstanding.


To compensate for all my (rightful) complaining and negativity on this ownership thread over the last few weeks, here are some pictures of the Continental GT with it’s Royal Enfield Givi brother that is owned by a fellow forum member.

Mileage : I tanked up at the BP pump opposite Manipal Hospital. Total distance covered – 240 kms. Total petrol consumed – 8.8 litres. Mileage – 27.33 kmpl.


I dropped the front pressure to 28 PSI (it was set at 35 during installation!) and kept the rear at 33 PSI. When I first rode the bike after getting the Ceats fitted, I found turn ins requiring considerably more effort. It has become so much easier to handle around town now with the corrected settings, I will keep experimenting until I find the sweet spot.

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

IMO, one should never allow anyone to pressure wash a motorcycle.

Thanks ArizonaJim, I have heard many people say the same but experience has proved to be the most effective teacher. So its back to the calorie burning bucket wash routine for me.

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

How complicated can it possibly be, they either have it or they don't! Why the lack of transparency and absolute disrespect towards a customer who owns the most expensive vehicle from your stable?

Spot on, buddy. The best part is that it still hasn’t reached! Like you said, it’s a binary response – they have it or they dont.

Originally Posted by Tgo

I even remember asking a friend who's brother bought the GT as an impulsive buy about availability of tyres and he said, based on his past experience, they shouldn't be hard to get in Bangalore.

The guys at RE putting in these imported goodies haven't looked into the long term sourcing of these parts for customers and this is a big problem specially in India.

Thanks Tgo, I never expected the step motherly treatment from Pirelli in the first place. Royal Enfield’s lethargy is even more shocking. Overall poor planning from RE with a clear lack of focus on long term sourcing of essential components especially when customers like me are willing to pay for it.

Originally Posted by unk9ja

That belongs to Sarath, my friend. He was offering the TD's at most of the places. Well the soul brother also has a RE as his garage mate and now a Mojo. You can speak to him about the RE issues. He knows quiet a number of fellows in the RE rank as he was also into organising the Desert raids in Rajasthan by the RE.

Thanks unk9ja, I had met Sarath during a Mojo test ride in Bangalore recently and clicked the picture bike during our breakfast stop. I wasn’t aware that he had organized Desert raids in Rajasthan with Royal Enfield.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Thanks Tgo, I never expected the step motherly treatment from Pirelli in the first place. Royal Enfield’s lethargy is even more shocking. Overall poor planning from RE with a clear lack of focus on long term sourcing of essential components especially when customers like me are willing to pay for it.

Mate I read your tryst with finding the OEM Pirelli tyres for your lovely CGT. I find it really appalling where the company itself (in this case RE) does not have enough stock of tyres. Now tyres are THE most important and critical part of a motorcycle which is a regular wear and tear product. The company should make sure they have it in stock for customers willing to buy the same. I am not sure what kind of a policy RE or Pirelli have wherein they are not making the tyres available off the shelf to their own customers.

A similar story seems to be brewing with KTM Bajaj wherein the price of the OEM Metzeler tyres are inflated and quoted over MRP and sometimes they are not available at all due to lack of stocks. I dread what will be the case with the recently launched Mahindra Mojo which sports Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres once the factory fitted tyre requires a replacement. I sincerely hope the tyre manufacturers to take a note of this segment. Bridgestone two wheeler tyres are your listening? Anyways all is well that ends well, now that you have fitted your CGT with Ceat and are back on road.

[B O V]

Man, I've been following your tyre woes since they cropped up.

I gotta say you keep a really positive attitude, kudos to that. I woulda blown my lid at those guys at a much earlier point.

I wonder why they have this shortage of psd's, aren't they selling continental gt's anymore, they should have a stock of tyres sitting in some warehouse somewhere, shouldn't they? I have this feeling that they probably are importing one for you, even though it doesn't make any sense.

Good to see you back on the saddle.

Regards,

BOV

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Now tyres are THE most important and critical part of a motorcycle which is a regular wear and tear product.

Second that. In fact, tyres are almost as frequent a consumable as engine oil. With these soft rubbers wearing out in less than 10k kms, almost everyone will need replacement once in 2 years.

I dread what will be the case with the recently launched Mahindra Mojo which sports Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres once the factory fitted tyre requires a replacement.

There are some online stores sprinkled all over India who are stocking up exotic brands but I still it is the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure supply. Considering how they adopt such tough stance against owners buying spare parts from outside, why don't they wake up to the cause of ensuring supply of tyres?

[neil.jericho]

With my bike being out of commission for so long, I was itching to get back into the saddle and plans were set in motion for a short Sunday morning breakfast ride with a topping of lip smacking Bengali sweets. After the group met up, we decided to head out to our top secret group headquarters located at DD hills for a short and sweet quick ride with breakfast on the way back. And what a great decision it turned out to be.

The weather was just perfect with a lovely nip in the air and every imaginable shade of greenery enveloping both sides of the twisty roads. Since the tires were still new and not proven, I wasn’t hustling the bike through the engaging bends and instead preferred to gently lean the bike and slowly explore its limits. Turns out the Ceats were much more capable than what I expected while cornering though on the highways I didn’t venture too far from the ton mark until I had a better sense of the grip they offered in emergency braking. All in all the new tires passed the initial test with flying colours.

In regular day to day usage for a non aggressive rider like me, there is hardly any perceptible difference in the grip offered by the Ceats when compared to the stock tires. Based on my initial experiences, I can say that the Ceats do a lot of what the PSDs can whereas the reverse doesn’t appear to be the case. Time, as always, will be the true judge.

I noticed that one of the pins on the rear brake was missing when they were fitting the new rear tire last week and went to the RE SVC while returning from the ride but found that they were closed due to the extended holiday weekend. I need to get that rectified soon.

Mileage : On my way back I tanked up at the Shell pump in Yeshwantpur to be on the safe side. Total distance covered – 214.5 kms. Total petrol consumed – 7.64 litres. Mileage – 28.08 kmpl which is fine considering there was quite a bit of ton up riding. Of course with the different profile rear tire, there is going to be some odometer error in play going forward.


I wrote to RE customer care today regarding the perpetually in transit tire that still hasn’t arrived in Bangalore, hopefully they take some corrective action to ensure other customers have a much easier time. Meanwhile, the weather is slowly becoming more conducive for Sunday morning riding and Im looking forward to joining as many rides as I can before I head off for my customary Christmas break. As the Starks of so bluntly put it, “Winter is coming.”

Originally Posted by navin_v8

I am not sure what kind of a policy RE or Pirelli have wherein they are not making the tyres available off the shelf to their own customers.

A similar story seems to be brewing with KTM Bajaj wherein the price of the OEM Metzeler tyres are inflated and quoted over MRP and sometimes they are not available at all due to lack of stocks.

Thanks navin_v8. Officially, RE's policy is that they are not reliant on Pirelli's decision to import / not import PSDs as they bring them in separately through a different channel for the Continental GT. Real world experience has shown that the policy isnt worth the paper it is printed on. While KTM owners are similarly subject to Bajaj's whims and fancies, being on 17" means that other options are available.

Originally Posted by B O V

I gotta say you keep a really positive attitude, kudos to that. I woulda blown my lid at those guys at a much earlier point.

I wonder why they have this shortage of psd's, aren't they selling continental gt's anymore, they should have a stock of tyres sitting in some warehouse somewhere, shouldn't they? I have this feeling that they probably are importing one for you, even though it doesn't make any sense.

Thanks B O V, every time I pass by a RE showroom and spot a brand new Continental GT, I am reminded of the fact that they are churning out the bike but dont seem to have an extra tire anywhere! Even I suspect they are in the process of importing a tire which is causing the extensive delay. Missing the wood for the trees.

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

Second that. In fact, tyres are almost as frequent a consumable as engine oil. With these soft rubbers wearing out in less than 10k kms, almost everyone will need replacement once in 2 years.

There are some online stores sprinkled all over India who are stocking up exotic brands but I still it is the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure supply.

Thanks ksameer1234, I need to find out how other owners are coping with the issue. I am a little wary of these new online stores as the experience can be a little iffy. Tyreonwheels for example is a must avoid from the experiences shared by fellow forum members.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Attachment 1431237

I have a secret thing for bikes clad with offroad tyres! The CGT is no exception. It looks stunning with that Secura. how about a set of flat bars and a similar rear tyre too?? Along with the knuckle guards we were talking about?? Lets go the scrambler way!

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

I have a secret thing for bikes clad with offroad tyres! The CGT is no exception. It looks stunning with that Secura. how about a set of flat bars and a similar rear tyre too?? Along with the knuckle guards we were talking about?? Lets go the scrambler way!

You beat me to the post mate. I was going to say the same thing. Those Ceat tyres do make the CGT look like a scrambler. Like the saying, "killing two birds with one arrow".

[neil.jericho]

It was on the 4th of September that the gentlemen at the RE SVC confidently told me that they will be able to source a replacement front tire within 3 - 4 working days. That was 60 days ago! That's right, six-freakin-ty days and it still isn't here. I haven't been contacted by anyone from RE after our email exchange 8 days ago either.


Congratulations RE! To celebrate this rare monumental achievement of organizational lethargy, utter callousness and class leading inefficiency, I can only offer this celebratory image from my side. Cheers!

And now back to the show. With the heavy rains that Bangalore has been subjected to over the last three days (not a patch on what God's own country is blessed with but I digress), road conditions have rapidly downgraded to half way between treacherous and dangerous. The sides of many roads are now covered a combination of slush, sand and stones and commuting on two wheels can be extremely tricky to say the least. The bike though is performing as well as always without throwing up any complaints though the rate at which the fuel gauge readings have fallen has me quite concerned.


Now that I am dropping and picking my better half from her office every day, I have noticed that the gearing is not really suited for slow moving city traffic when riding with a pillion. After shifting to second I find the revs are too low so I have to ride in the upper ranges of the first gear to avoid lugging the engine.


All this fades away and counts for nothing each time I hear Oohs and Wows from bunches of passing school kids mesmerized by the evergreen looks of the Continental GT. That trick never gets old!

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

I have a secret thing for bikes clad with offroad tyres! The CGT is no exception. It looks stunning with that Secura. how about a set of flat bars and a similar rear tyre too?? Along with the knuckle guards we were talking about?? Lets go the scrambler way!

Originally Posted by navin_v8

You beat me to the post mate. I was going to say the same thing. Those Ceat tyres do make the CGT look like a scrambler. Like the saying, "killing two birds with one arrow".

Well as the adage goes “Birds of a feather flock together”. The first thing I did when I realized the stock rear tire had a crack was to ask if they had the Ceat Secura in 18” specs as well. That would’ve made it picture perfect. Unfortunately the rear is only available in 17” (hint hint cough KTM owners cough cough). Next step knuckle guards. Offroad trails here I come. Oh wait, Bangalore streets are giving me those conditions for free!

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Well as the adage goes “Birds of a feather flock together”. The first thing I did when I realized the stock rear tire had a crack was to ask if they had the Ceat Secura in 18” specs as well. That would’ve made it picture perfect.

Mate do update us about the rear Ceat Zoom tyre you have fitted on your CGT as my Thunderbird500 too shares the same profile size. I can consider replacing the OEM Stock MRF Zapper rear tyre(whenever it needs a replacement) with Ceat Zoom if it is good enough. My brother in law has fitted Ceat Zoom rear tyre on his Hero Honda CBZ and is happy with it. I had rode it for some time and found it satisfactory. But just wanted to know how it feels on an RE motorcycle.

[neil.jericho]

We may not know it, but Bangalore based bikers sure are a fortunate lot. We have multiple destinations to ride to on weekends, each of which offers something different from the other in terms of distance, road quality, food offerings and the nature of the destination. The Anchetty loop is one that has flown below my radar all these years but it is one that just might be the best of what is on offer to us.


The original plan was to ride with Snehal and Amit but due to some confusion on the meeting spot, Amit carried on towards Krishnagiri for a solo ride. I caught up with Snehal and the Red Baron at the Electronics City NICE toll gate and we exited onto Kanakpura Road. With Snehal stopping to tank up Red Baron who has quite an unquenchable thirst, I took the chance to click a few pictures.

We stopped for a quick teafee (popular Indian drink sold at small shops made from a combination of left over tea and coffee from the previous day, served hot. Usually accompanied by a ciggy) and set off towards Anchetty and what a beautiful stretch of tarmac lay ahead of us. The ride was in a word fantastic and it was one of those rare occasions that I wished I had a GoPro to record the marvelousness of it all. The road with its wonderful sweeping S bends will lull you into a comfortable false sense of security before throwing up a curveball in the shape of a surprisingly sharp turn that will snap you back into rapt attention. Just lovely!


There were just so many places on the route that just begged us to stop and let it soak in slowly and we finally did just that. After clicking a few pictures, I noticed that there was a very interesting opportunity to take our bikes off road and Snehal was willing to give it a shot as well. Who said HDs are only meant to be ridden on arrow straight highways?

I did a quick exploratory lap that included plants, slippery wild grass, sand and a bit of slush and the bike proved to be a most worthwhile companion. Makes me wonder what I could do with a Himalayan in my garage. Or a KTM Adventure 390. Or both! I will admit this, from supersports to café racers to adventure bikes, my biking preferences sure have swung over the last few years.

Remember how I mentioned that the bike is quite a little star in Bangalore? It turns out that nobody in Anchetty gave it a second glance only because of the Red Baron. The first thing that the guy at the small breakfast place mentioned was that this is the same bike that superstar Ajith has ridden in his new movie and was very eager to know the price. He even sent a friend to go get a touch screen phone to take a good picture of him next to the bike. After downing a very filling mota dosa each (egg dosa for the uninitiated), I was quite amused to see Snehal swamped by so many locals who were keen on understanding the HD bike the cost 5+ big ones. In fact one father who was passing by, stopped his son and to ask me if Snehal was sitting on the 5 lac bike. Im sure half of Anchetty was talking about Ajith’s 5 lac bike by lunch time!


We rode to Hogenakkal from there and were again blessed with lovely roads for most of the journey. The road from Hogenakkal towards Dhamapuri was just brilliant and we stopped after the first checkpost for some much needed refreshments. The shop keeper there suggested the shorter Nagadhasampatty – Palacode – Rayakottai – Hosur route instead of the traditional Nagadhasampatty - Dharmapuri – Krishnagiri – Hosur one and we turned left at Nagadhasampatty to try this alternate route. We were able to maintain steady speeds of about 70 – 80 kmph except for the frequent need to slow down to avoid the hay spread out on the roads to dry. Truly a case of making hay while the sun was shining though it was a terrible inconvenience to vehicular traffic.

The brilliant Hogenakkal Nagadhasampatty road

By now, I was tiring from the bike’s vibrations and we took a break once again for the Red Baron to top up while I stretched my legs. We halted once we entered Bangalore for a final coffee break before parting ways. Despite the late start, I was back home by 14:30 to end what was quite a marvelous day of biking that proved that you don’t need the fastest bike or a track day to have a whole lotta fun on two wheels.

Still grabs a few glances

In the end, three sets of our usual larger weekend group ended up covering the Anchetty loop and every single rider unequivocally stated that they would love to do it again.


The only spot of bother on our ride happened on the deserted roads after Hogenakkal when two young monkeys who were right in the middle of the act refused to make way for my incoming bike until the very last moment before mercifully scrambling in opposite directions. You cant make this stuff up. Imagine trying to explain a fall in the middle of nowhere to an insurance agent and attributing it to monkeys caught in the act of intimacy!

[Endofdayz]

Hi Neil,

It feels so inspiring to take a plunge on CGT after reading so many threads which has to speak on positive side apart from minor niggles which I'm aware of.

I was user of Desert Storm for 3 yrs. Took a test ride of CGT on Saturday with Brand store Jayanagar. However felt like bike leaning towards left and hand felt very paining. Wanted to check with user's here if that is the case. I strongly feel this bike had a very bad fall hence pulling to left.

Not to mention, CGT and Bullet 500 test ride vehicles were poorly maintained. CGT had torn seats and had lot of water in it. They hardly gave me 1KM ride and left hand started paining terribly. when I got down from vehicle my jeans was completely wet leaving me in embarrassment.

I can ignore all those things, however if rider hand feels stressed and if the front is heavy in general than I may look for some other options.

Can someone help me with my queries. I'm not able to move ahead from CGT and think for any other option.