[R-Six]

Merry Christmas, Neil! I hope you had wonderful time with your family.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Do you have any side pictures of the bike with this setup?

I just have these two side profile pictures handy. This was taken from an early morning ride we did during the weekend before Christmas.





I can click some better quality pictures in proper daylight and share if needed.

Ride Safe,
R-Six

[neil.jericho]

A couple of days prior to Christmas, I received the following message from Royal Enfield.

"Planning to sell your Royal Enfield? Bring it to its original home. Sell your old motorcycle in easy steps at a Royal Enfield Vintage Store. To know more contact 9035650350."

The dealership in Bangalore that comes under the Vintage Store umbrella is HSR Services, which is a dealership that has quite positive reviews on this forum. Maybe it is time to give them a call. Here is a list of the different Vintage Stores across India.

Last week I had dropped into the Republic of Bikers store in Cochin (located by the side of the bridge on Kaloor - Kadavanthra road) to check out what they had stocked up and was talking to them about the aftermarket seats that they had available. The ones that were displayed were for different Royal Enfield motorcycles and were priced around Rs 4,000 or so. They were willing to take the OEM dual seat that I had and add the padding that I needed along with custom colour options, based on whatever design I preferred, for around Rs 2,000 or so, which seemed quite fair. I need to browse through the great posts by fellow forum members regarding custom seats for the 650 twins to see what works best. The padding on the single seat seems to have also lived out its full life and is no longer as comfortable as it used to be, so maybe its time for that to be upgraded as well.

I had initially planned to take a picture of the two motorcycles in time for Christmas but the Continental GT 535 has a fully drained battery and Im not kickstarting it with the current bent lever just for a photo. Oh and there is no sign of my kick starter that was ordered in the beginning of October. Why, Royal Enfield, why Hence the thread will have to make do with these pictures from my interstate ride a few months ago. Here's wishing everyone the seasons greetings and all the best for a blessed and happy new year.

Originally Posted by R-Six

Merry Christmas, Neil! I hope you had wonderful time with your family.

I just have these two side profile pictures handy. This was taken from an early morning ride we did during the weekend before Christmas.

Thanks R-Six, wish you the same. Your bike does look quite comfortable now and should make mile munching rather easy for you. All in all, the latest modification makes it look like it was worth every rupee that you spent.

[R-Six]

Neil, we need more updates on this thread! I had to dig this thread out from the 4th page of the Motorcycles section.

Anyway, coming to the reason why I opened this thread.

It has been almost a month since I installed the new handlebar riser set up on my GT. Thanks to the festive season, I haven’t had a chance to take it out for any longer trip (other than one 200km roundtrip I did around December). But my commute to office allows me to hit the highway for approximately 7kms one way and I have lately I have found a sweet spot where I can just touch the triple-digit on the speedo and still ride without any noticeable vibes. So, it looks like my GT touches 100KMPH @ 3500 RPM and in that range, the vibe from the handlebar is next to none. The vibe gradually increases as soon as the RPM crosses the 3500 mark though. But given that our highways are filled with idiots, I think this is the sweet spot I’m going to follow going forward.

Ride safe,
R-Six

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by R-Six

It has been almost a month since I installed the new handlebar riser set up on my GT. Thanks to the festive season, I haven’t had a chance to take it out for any longer trip (other than one 200km roundtrip I did around December). But my commute to office allows me to hit the highway for approximately 7kms one way and I have lately I have found a sweet spot where I can just touch the triple-digit on the speedo and still ride without any noticeable vibes. So, it looks like my GT touches 100KMPH @ 3500 RPM and in that range, the vibe from the handlebar is next to none. The vibe gradually increases as soon as the RPM crosses the 3500 mark though. But given that our highways are filled with idiots, I think this is the sweet spot I’m going to follow going forward.

That certainly is good to hear, R-Six! With the after market scene in India being as nascent as it is, quite often these non OEM installs end up with giving some inadvertent additional, ahem, character to the bike but in your case it looks as though you are getting a much more comfortable seating position and no vibes at safe highway speeds! The best of both worlds indeed.

Originally Posted by R-Six

Neil, we need more updates on this thread! I had to dig this thread out from the 4th page of the Motorcycles section.

Tell me about it! I too had to dig it out from the fourth page and I had started typing a post but left it pending, since I wanted to provide a more complete update.

First a little bit of context before I provide an update on the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535. Last year a driver and a security guard at my building tried to unnecessarily move my other motorcycle and ended up dropping it in the process. The end result was that I had to pay a total of Rs 9,000 for replacing the bent handlebar and labour charges at Triumph. Since that incident, the building caretaker recommended that all bikes be parked in a much safer spot where nobody would have to move the motorcycles around. Fast forward a few months and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535's battery was on it's very last legs and I hunted for a replacement battery in early December, the details of which I posted on this thread. Since I wasnt going to be doing any riding towards the year end holidays, I postponed my battery purchase to this month. And so the bike remained parked in it's corner while it waited for a new battery.

A couple of weeks ago, I was just giving the GT a quick once over when I realized that something was very wrong.

The front brake lever looked as though it had been in a crash and was bent at a terrible angle.



The right side handle bar was bent.



The right footpeg was broken.



The right side RVM had some slight scratches as did a few surrounding parts.

Later I came to notice that the rear grab rail also had some scratch marks on them as well. Initially I thought that the bike was dropped and put back up by the miscreants without informing anyone about the accident / incident. However, the scratches on the rear grab rail make me wonder if someone rode / drove into the back of the motorcycle and knocked it down. Or maybe Ive been watching too many detective shows.

The security guards in the building were of no use and claim to have not heard the sound of the motorcycle falling. Unfortunately there is no CCTV coverage in that area of the parking lot. It turns out that another tenant had complained recently about petrol that was stolen from his motorcycle! All in all, it has been a most frustrating experience.

Since my last service experience at the Royal Enfield company service center at Edapally wasnt too great (they took 4 days to start work on my bike which had a small electrical failure), I planned to give my bike to St Mary's service center on Chittoor road as it was a lot closer to my place. They didnt have the required parts and suggested that I explore a couple of other shops nearby. Ordering for new parts from Royal Enfield at the service centre will result in a 2 - 3 week waiting period for it to be sent from Madras. Let's not forget that I ordered for a kick start lever in October of 2019 at the company SVC in Edapally and either Royal Enfield hasnt sent it or the service advisor has completely forgotten about it.

Speaking of forgetfulness, I somehow forgot to ask about the brake lever and the kick starter but the other parts are on track to be in stock in a day or two at an authorized Royal Enfield spares distributor. Once I get all the parts, I will replace the battery and then take the bike to the St Marys SVC.

On the topic of the battery, I had posted this last month.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Meanwhile I checked the Exide website and saw that they dont have a 14 Ah option but strangely enough, a few days later, a fellow rider from the Continental GT owners group posted about a new dry cell zero maintenance battery from Exide, under the Xplore - Motorcycle VRLA range, that incidentally was available at a shop that was walking distance from my place. The price quoted was Rs 2,900 and it comes with a monster 48 month warranty! Thats a third more what Exide themselves offer on their own SF Sonic Mobiker battery. So the Exide Xplore battery has become the sure shot choice for the battery replacement, I have postponed getting it installed on my bike until after the holidays.

There was a fellow Continental GT rider in Cochin who updated me about this Exide Xplore - Motorcycle VRLA dry cell battery with a 48 month warranty. A few days ago the rider updated me that this Exide battery is apparently sold out and is no longer available! Why, Exide, why? So it looks as though I am left with only Amco and SF Sonic (this is a sister company of Exide) as my options for replacement batteries.

Anyways, back to the bike, I hope to get the bike up and running as soon as possible and then the next step is the seat upgrades. Meanwhile, the mind wanders off towards the long pending thought of a proper paint job on the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 now that it has completed 5 years. There is nothing wrong with the current paint job (except for that little dimple on the tank) but a little customization without being too overtly done, can only help to make the bike a little more special.

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I realized that something was very wrong.

Ouch! That's a lot of dings right there. It certainly looks like your GT had taken a hit. Strange that there are scratches/dings on both the side of the bike. Replacing all these small parts are going to take a hit on your wallet, but then I hope the ASC guys have all the required items in stock when you take it there.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

dimple on the tank

Coincidence or not, but my GT has a dimple on the tank as well.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

topic of the battery

I have given up on the battery lately. Apart from kick-starting your bike, is there anything else that bothers you due to the battery? I had replaced the battery a while ago and come what may, the self-start won't work. I checked everything else in the electricals too, but nothing else is wrong. As per my service center guys, I need to run the GT more to keep the voltage intact. But then with the winter setting in here, I've been using GT very regularly to the office which is approximately 22 km every day. Not sure if they expect me to clock 50-60 KMs every day to keep the battery alive. Since my GT starts in a couple of kicks even after being idle for a week, I have decided to live with the set-up for now.

Ride safe,
R-Six

[neil.jericho]

The good news is that though both the Edapally company service center (SVC) and the one on Chitoor road didnt have the parts in stock, the JR and Sons store on Chitoor road (opposite Krisha Hospital) had the right foot peg in stock and had incidentally, placed an order for the handlebar as well. I bought the same once it arrived but had some reservation on the handlebar when I saw it. I came back and checked it against the bike and realized that it was actually the left handlebar that was sold to JR and Sons though the product's box said it was the right hand one.

Incorrect part


Correct part

I returned the part to the JR and Sons store after showing them the pictures and they are expecting to get another one in the next few days. So that should resolve the handlebar issue. The only other part that also needs to be replaced is the front brake lever, unfortunately you cannot source just the brake lever as it comes in a full kit which is not currently available. The price for the full kit is around Rs 3,200 or so. For now I will have to go with an inexpensive aftermarket lever to get the bike back on the road.

Originally Posted by R-Six

Ouch! That's a lot of dings right there. It certainly looks like your GT had taken a hit. Strange that there are scratches/dings on both the side of the bike. Replacing all these small parts are going to take a hit on your wallet, but then I hope the ASC guys have all the required items in stock when you take it there.

No luck with immediately getting parts man. Currently it looks as though if a GT 535 meets with an accident, it will take Royal Enfield 2 - 3 weeks, at least, to send the parts across from their plant to the service centre in question. Being a discontinued model, I suppose that waiting period is fair enough.

The visible damage is all to the right side of the bike, somebody has dropped it on that side. Hopefully there arent any other unpleasant surprises left for me, when I take it to the SVC.

Originally Posted by R-Six

I have given up on the battery lately. Apart from kick-starting your bike, is there anything else that bothers you due to the battery? I had replaced the battery a while ago and come what may, the self-start won't work. I checked everything else in the electricals too, but nothing else is wrong. As per my service center guys, I need to run the GT more to keep the voltage intact. But then with the winter setting in here, I've been using GT very regularly to the office which is approximately 22 km every day. Not sure if they expect me to clock 50-60 KMs every day to keep the battery alive. Since my GT starts in a couple of kicks even after being idle for a week, I have decided to live with the set-up for now.

That certainly is quite surprising to read. When I was using my motorcycle on a daily basis, there was absolutely no need for me to use the kick starter. I have come to detest the kick starting process on the bike due to the poorly designed footpeg on the bike, it's corrugated edge has destroyed a couple of formal pants and resulted in some slight damage to my riding pants as well.

But all said and done, with 22 kms of daily riding, your bike should absolutely be starting with the electric start every day. Do you have another SVC in your city that you can take the bike to? If the battery is fine, there there must be an issue somewhere else on the bike.

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

with 22 km of daily riding, your bike should absolutely be starting with the electric start every day. Do you have another SVC in your city that you can take the bike to? If the battery is fine, there must be an issue somewhere else on the bike.

I know right! I mean, that is what I said about being fed up. I have tried two different ASC here in the city and no luck so far. I’m guessing that there is something wrong with the electrical. But then I even had them check the alternator when it was given for service and things were fine according to the ASC.

Ride Safe,
R-Six

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by R-Six

I know right! I mean, that is what I said about being fed up. I have tried two different ASC here in the city and no luck so far. I’m guessing that there is something wrong with the electrical. But then I even had them check the alternator when it was given for service and things were fine according to the ASC.

I would suggest the following

Go to any good auto electrical shop - may be even the SVC of the battery you are using.

Expose the Battery leads/terminals (don't know how easy it is in Conti 535) and Start the bike. Ask them to check the charging voltage across the terminals - if it is anything below 12 volts, it would be safe to assume that there is a problem either the Rectifier or Alternator. If you are so inclined and have access to a reliable multimetre you can do this yourself, as well.

Based on the outcome you can decide on next course of action.

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by R-Six

I’m guessing that there is something wrong with the electrical.

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

If you are so inclined and have access to a reliable multimetre you can do this yourself, as well.

Hope this helps;

Understanding & troubleshooting Motorcycle Charging Systems

I have listed out the complete procedure to diagnose faults with the entire electrical system using a Multimeter. It's as simple as it gets cause I myself am not electrically inclined to speak of.

Regards,
A.P.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I returned the part to the JR and Sons store after showing them the pictures and they are expecting to get another one in the next few days. So that should resolve the handlebar issue. The only other part that also needs to be replaced is the front brake lever, unfortunately you cannot source just the brake lever as it comes in a full kit which is not currently available. The price for the full kit is around Rs 3,200 or so. For now I will have to go with an inexpensive aftermarket lever to get the bike back on the road.

Unfortunately the right side handle bar hasnt reached JR and Sons yet, it was supposed to have come late last week but as of today, it hasnt left Madras. It appears as though Royal Enfield is in the middle of shifting their warehouses and this has impacted their supply chain operations.

During the recent Royal Enfield sale, I had ordered a couple of t shirts from their website to give as gifts. Last week I got a call from their staff saying that they would have to cancel the order from their side due to the shift in warehouses and inability to process the order on time. I have been refunded the amount for the t shirts already.

Anyway, back to the bike and since I wasnt keen on replacing the entire front braking kit, I ended up buying some aftermarket levers instead. As things stand, the handlebar should reach by next Monday. Then it is off to Royal Enfield's service center to get the parts fitted and to check that nothing else has been damaged thanks to the drop.

Meanwhile, ashwinprakas had suggested a few options to improve the front end brake feel of the bike. This is definitely something to explore in the coming months as I look to tweak the bike, one step at a time. The other thing that is on my radar is the not very smooth on - off throttle which is something that I had written about on this thread a few months ago. A Powertronic piggy back ECU unit with a custom map for low to mid range gains sounds just about right. That combined with the improved braking from the front should make the Continental GT 535 even more fun in the twisties.

While the GT 535 languishes in the corner and awaits its parts, its stablemate is getting to enjoy weekend rides.

[neil.jericho]

Over the past few weeks, Ive been slowly collecting the parts required to get the bike back on the road. Since the Royal Enfield service centers just threw their hands up in helplessness, Ive had to depend on JR and Sons (located opposite Krishna Hospital on Chitoor Road) to help me source the parts. In 5 years, this is the first time that I have had to depend on an authorized dealer for parts and it has been a pleasure to interact with the very helpful folks at the JR and Sons store.

So far the parts procured from them have been
- Right side handle bar
- Right side rider foot peg
- Oil filter
- Air filter

Ive asked them to source the kick starter lever which amazingly enough, has been ordered for me at the company service center, Edapally in October 2019 and it still hasnt been delivered! It looks like that order is on a permanent backlog for the service center and who knows when either the service center or Royal Enfield's warehouse folks will wake up from their collective slumber. JR and Sons is trying to get it for me from one of the other dealers and if they cant find one, they will put in an order for me. Overall, two big thumbs up for the good people at JR and Sons and I cant recommend them enough.

The main reason that I have been a little slow on getting the bike back in top condition was that I was waiting for the new dry cell Exide battery with a monster 48 months warranty to become widely available. There was a new battery shop that opened near my place that had it in stock but that shop closed down soon enough before I sourced all the other parts. Later, I got to know that as per them, Exide has discontinued this battery! My regular battery guy finally got it in stock this week and I got him to swap out the old battery today. Total cost with exchange of the old battery was Rs 2,800.

Out with the old

Getting the screw off one side of the clamp was a little bothersome but after applying some WD40 and trying some wriggling, it was out without an issue. The bike didnt start at first crank (imagine my consternation!!!!!) after replacing the battery but after a few kick starts it was perfectly fine. After that though, its been starting at just the hint of a press on the starter button. Oh, how sweet is the sound of your motorcycle when you havent heard it for two months in a row!

And in with the new

Of course, being a Royal Enfield, having rubber tubes to be periodically replaced is a given. But that is a problem for another day.

Sigh! All part of the Royal Enfield ownership experience....

Now to get the parts replaced and head out for a ride over the weekend. Happy days are here again!

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

source the kick starter lever

Let me know if you still can't source the kick starter. I might be able to find one and ship it over to you sooner than RE folks trying to procure it through their inventory!

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

rubber tubes

Lol! Tell me about it. Checking the breather pipe for cracks is one of the weekly checks that I have started doing. I don't think these pipes last even a couple of months. Such is the state of these parts. I'm not sure how they are going to survive the Ahmedabad summer

Ride safe,
R-Six

[ashwinprakas]

Can't you guys simply get replacement hoses from Diesel pump spare shops? They cost a premium considering the stock rubber hoses but they last way longer.

Heck! I've repositioned my weak ass rubber drain pipe replacing it for a reinforced diesel hose and the thing is exposed to the earth and rocks and yet it's been a year and 15k kms yet all is well.

The breather pipe I got rubber itself as it was about 20/- odd bucks from Bajaj spares, but next time I'll scrap that as well for a reinforced diesel hose.

Cheers,
A.P.

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Can't you guys simply get replacement hoses from Diesel pump spare shops? They cost a premium considering the stock rubber hoses but they last way longer.

Blame it on my laziness, I guess! Rather than going to the counter and getting a better one, opting to replace it at the service center when the bike is up for service.

Thanks for the suggestion though. So, do we get these pipes at any parts shop? You said "Diesel Pump"? Would you mind sharing a pic? When I take the bike to the folks next time, I will get a pair and replace the rubber ones with the one you suggested.

Just a quick question though: So will it be a direct fit in terms of the diameter of the pipe?

Ride safe,
R-six

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by R-Six

So, do we get these pipes at any parts shop? You said "Diesel Pump"? Would you mind sharing a pic?

Not available at regular shops simply due to pricing.

Go to any generic truck spares shop and source.





Since they're reinforced they're heat resistant as well.

Just a quick question though: So will it be a direct fit in terms of the diameter of the pipe?

Pipes usually come in generic sizes, so simply pull out your old tubes and go to the shop.

Get ones with matching inner dia, also source adequate clips for them and you're good to go.

Cheers,
A.P.