[arulpeem]

I got a second hand Royal Enfield Continental GT, 6 months old and 2100 km on the odometer, a few weeks back of which I have attached a few photos.

Initial feedback and impressions after 200 Km of usage:

Engine: The acceleration is very good. Of course I can't compare it with my RD350. But good enough for me at this stage of life.There is tick, tick noise that increases with the rpm. The service manager says it is normal and not to worry... I don't know.

Silencer: This had the performance silencer from RE. It was louder and didn't have the thump associated with Enfields. The heat shield is very small and just covers the front portion and not the rear. Later in the day someone who wanted to see the bike pointed out black patch on the silencer and then he pointed out the molten patch in my right trouser bottom. When I rest my foot during stops the trousers come into contact with the exposed portion. Then only I remembered the overdrive review that mentioned burnt trousers after riding this bike.

Suspension: A little on the stiffer side. But not an issue at all. It takes the small pot holes with aplomb, but I haven't ridden it on bad roads yet. When I took my daughter for a ride I found that when going over small but steep speed breakers the bottom was scraping. I think it is the centre stand that scrapes. There is slight noise from the front when going over small pot holes, but not over larger ones or on speed breakers. I need to get this sorted during the service.

Handling: The bike is very nimble. The lane changes were almost like the smaller bikes that I have ridden.

Gear Shifts: Very smooth and lighter than the old TB of mine. But slotting in neutral from first or second after coming to a halt is very difficult and I know it should be solved by adjusting the clutch.

The Brakes: The front Brembo is fantastic. The braking is progressive and feel is good. But the rear brake is wooden in feel. I wish is was more progressive and gives good feedback. I can live with it since I use the rear only during rapid stops(along with the front of course)

Lights: The head light is very bright and it was pointing up to the sky. I could set it right by loosening the nuts and push it down. But I don't understand why RE could not give the projector lamp for their top end product. Same goes for the tail lamp. It could have been a LED set up instead of the incandescent bulbs. Typical of RE.

My first Medium distance rides: A week after I got the bike joined the Chennai T-BHP ride to Mahabalipuram. Another week later I took it for non stop ride of 60 KM in ECR.

The roads were relatively free since that was the day of judgement. The main purpose of the ride was to get used to the bike and mainly the posture. At the end of the rides my back didn't feel discomfort able at all. My apprehensions about long rides are now a little less now.

Found the engine to be very responsive beyond 1800 rpm. The torque was really good. The performance silencer from RE was throaty but not loud. But I didn't exceed 80Kmph so I don't know how loud it would get beyond those speeds. I also didn't take the bike beyond 3000rpm in the lower gears yet.

When braking from 80KMPH the bike is really stable and quick. The bike maintained the line until it came to a stop. The braking is progressive and confidence inspiring unlike my old TB.

Mileage:I haven't yet calculated the mileage since I haven't yet topped up the fuel. Will post it by my next update.

Likes:
-The way it looks and attracts attention
-Relatively better fit and finish for a RE
-The good Torque
-Free revving for an Enfield
-Good handling
-Good braking
-Good headlights
-Good grips of the tyres

Dislikes:
-The posture is still a question mark. More riding will give me the correct idea
-The single seat is a little loose
-Lighting could have been better; projectors and led based.
-Rubbing of the centre stand on speed breakers
-Distance to empty feature could have been incorporated.

How did I end up buying this bike:

It is about a year back when I test rode TBTS 500 and then about 6 months back the Continental GT. I was hooked to both of them. My bike ownership started with a second hand RD 350 which I bought in 1988 December for a princely sum of Rs 10,000/- I did use it very extensively. Had clocked about 100,000 KM in about 10 years. Went on a few long trips including one to Valley of Flowers/Badrinath from Delhi and a few trips to Kodai, Ooty and Yercaud.

Since my official travels increased and I couldn't maintain the bike well I decided to sell the bike and gave it to my friend's nephew who today is a chief editor of one of the auto magazines. He maintained it so beautifully that I was almost regretting the sale. He also sold it a year or so since his travel didn't give him much of time with the bike.

For a couple of years I was without any ride and in 2003 Jan I bought a Thunderbird which has served me well till date. I have hardly done any long ride in that. I has been used mainly for the short commutes to the office and the weekend rides. I was definitely missing the long trips. But official travel and growing family were definitely a hurdle.

With the introduction of new Thunderbird 500,my interest in biking was rekindled. The ownerships reports by Mr. J Ravi and others in T-BHP added fuel to the fire. So I took test ride of the Thunderbird and was very impressed and happy with the way it handled. I almost made a booking towards middle of last year. But then thought of waiting for another 6 months so that my other financial commitments are met and don't get impacted.

And then came the Continental GT and I took a test ride and was floored by the way it accelerated and handled. Far better than the old TB and new TB500. But I was not so sure if my back can handle the posture. Mind you, I was already 54 then. So kept on dilly dallying for a few months between the TB500 and the CGT. The near INR 40,000 difference was also another reason for my indecisiveness. But kept reading the blogs to keep myself updated on these bikes. In the beginning of the year I almost made up my mind to buy the TB500;went to the OMR sales/service point and evinced my interest in TB500. Decided to book it around June so that I will get the bike soon after the summer.Promptly they called me in June but I became unsure about the decision for TB500. My heart was more in for CGT whereas my logical mind was telling me to book the TB500. It kept telling me how can a bloody middle aged man handle a CGT. Wouldn't I look odd on a sporty bike, wouldn't the kids in Fazers, Apaches, Gixxers sneer at me on the road. They will be ripping and weaving in and out at above 60Kmph within the city when I will be trundling at 50 or less, etc, etc. So I procrastinated further.

A month back I was just searching Olx for bikes in Chennai, out of curiosity and came across a few CGTs on sale with quoted prices ranging from 1.9 to 2.1L. My curiosity got the better off me and sent a message to one of them who had quoted 1.9L for a 6 month old and 2,100 Km bike along with the REs performance silencer, twin seat, bar end mirrors and bike cover. Fixed a test ride for 20th September and the bike was in Virugambakkam. It was long ride from Thiruvanmiyur. Had a close look at the bike for signs of any accident. All seemed fine and signs of any accident. So took for test ride and it started raining. Stopped by the road side for the rain to stop and then made a U turn in first gear and the bike gently leaned to the right and I couldn't hold on to it and I let it rest on the ground. It was stupid of me and two thoughts came to my mind. First was 'Am I fit to handle this bike' and other was 'you dropped so you buy it'. Well, went back and I called my wife and told her about this and she gave the go ahead. I didn't need any further excuse and settled the deal at 1.75L. He rode the bike to Thiruvanmiyur and handed it over to with me along with the papers.

There I was with the CGT that I didn't think would happen.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorbikes Section. Thanks for sharing!

[dreamseller]

Conratulations Arul on the acquisition! Wish you million miles of happiness on this one. To me, this is the most beautiful bike manufactured currently in India. And I'm not an RE fan.

[Silverflash]

Congratulations! Enjoy your bike, and safe riding!

Originally Posted by arulpeem

I got a second hand Royal Enfield Continental GT, 6 months old and 2100 km on the odometer, a few weeks back

Congratulations and best wishes, arulpeem. I wish you and your Royal Enfield Continental GT infinite miles with smiles.

[neil.jericho]

Congratulations on joining the Continental GT owners club, arulpeem! It looks like you were destined to own this lovely bike one way or the other. Looking forward to regular updates on your thread.

Originally Posted by arulpeem

Gear Shifts: Very smooth and lighter than the old TB of mine. But slotting in neutral from first or second after coming to a halt is very difficult and I know it should be solved by adjusting the clutch.

I have the exact same issue on my bike, it has reduced quite a bit after the first service but it still is present. I have learnt to shift it into neutral and coast to a stop if possible. If it is stop and go traffic then I open the throttle just a bit, inch it forward and quickly slot it into neutral. The SVC folks in Bangalore said that they need to open it up and check but on the advice of senior members, I have left it as it is for now. I met someone from a RE showroom in Cochin who told me that this is a known issue with the Continental GT.

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Congratulations on joining the Continental GT owners club, arulpeem! It looks like you were destined to own this lovely bike one way or the other. Looking forward to regular updates on your thread.



I have the exact same issue on my bike, it has reduced quite a bit after the first service but it still is present. I have learnt to shift it into neutral and coast to a stop if possible. If it is stop and go traffic then I open the throttle just a bit, inch it forward and quickly slot it into neutral. The SVC folks in Bangalore said that they need to open it up and check but on the advice of senior members, I have left it as it is for now. I met someone from a RE showroom in Cochin who told me that this is a known issue with the Continental GT.

My two paisa on the gear shifting issue.

While standing still in say second or first, just release the clutch for a few mm. This should cause the bike to move slightly forward (just an inch maybe). Keep the clutch engaged and then try slotting into neutral. It usually works. Please try and revert with feedback.

Cheers,

Jay

[Mr.Boss]

Congrats on the CGT arulpeem.
2 more shots missing, with double seat and along with your TB.

Originally Posted by arulpeem

Gear Shifts: slotting in neutral from first or second after coming to a halt is very difficult

I had the same experience when I taken my friend's GT for a short spin. Before the bike comes to complete halt, it is easy to slot Neutral.
OT: I have the same problem in one of my RX too.

Posting a snap of your CGT from last TBHP meet.

[arulpeem]

Originally Posted by dreamseller

Conratulations To me, this is the most beautiful bike manufactured currently in India. And I'm not an RE fan.

Originally Posted by Silverflash

Congratulations! Enjoy your bike, and safe riding!

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Congratulations and best wishes,

Thanks for your wishes Dreamseller, Silverfish and Ravi Sir.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I have the exact same issue on my bike, it has reduced quite a bit after the first service but it still is present.

Originally Posted by JayPrashanth

My two paisa on the gear shifting issue.


Jay

Neil and Jay: Thanks for your wishes and updates on the gear shift. Neil Jericho, Thanks for wishes from a fellow CGT owner. I have been following your thread too regularly.

Update on the Gear shift: During the last service, the third one, they have fixed the issue and now the shift is not hard at all. I haven't asked what they did and just assumed that they would have just adjusted the clutch. I don't think they would have opened the gear box since they returned the bike in about 5 hours. But the tick, tick noise is still persistent.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Congrats on the CGT arulpeem.
2 more shots missing, with double seat and along with your TB.

Posting a snap of your CGT from last TBHP meet.

Hi Boss, thanks for the photo. I have also added a crash bar. I got it from Quality Metals in Ellis Road. I am sure that it definitely brings down the look of the bike a bit, but thought it was safer to add it if I am using it regularly. Therefore I need to post at least two more photos. I will definitely post them by next week end.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by JayPrashanth

My two paisa on the gear shifting issue.

While standing still in say second or first, just release the clutch for a few mm. This should cause the bike to move slightly forward (just an inch maybe). Keep the clutch engaged and then try slotting into neutral. It usually works. Please try and revert with feedback.

Cheers,

Jay

Looks like both of us described the same technique in slightly different words. I release the clutch and open the throttle just a little bit and as it inches forward I shift it into neutral from first. The problem seemed to have gone away after the first service but it is still there. I have become used to this technique now but my office leathers took the beating of a lifetime in the first few days.

Originally Posted by arulpeem

Neil and Jay: Thanks for your wishes and updates on the gear shift. Neil Jericho, Thanks for wishes from a fellow CGT owner. I have been following your thread too regularly.

Hi Boss, thanks for the photo. I have also added a crash bar. I got it from Quality Metals in Ellis Road. I am sure that it definitely brings down the look of the bike a bit, but thought it was safer to add it if I am using it regularly. Therefore I need to post at least two more photos. I will definitely post them by next week end.

Arul, can you share more details on the crash bar? I am on the lookout for a good crash bar but to my recollection I havent seen any Continental GTs in Bangalore with one fitted.

[arulpeem]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Arul, can you share more details on the crash bar? .

Hi I will post the photograph before this week end. A picture is worth a thousand words.
I have a query on the battery charging. When riding with the headlights on, the battery discharge lights goes off only when I am at 1500 rpm and above. Does this happen in your bike too?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by arulpeem

Hi I will post the photograph before this week end. A picture is worth a thousand words.
I have a query on the battery charging. When riding with the headlights on, the battery discharge lights goes off only when I am at 1500 rpm and above. Does this happen in your bike too?

I usually never end up riding once it gets dark but tonight was an exception and while returning home the battery light came on which left me wondering why it was so. I guess it was because of the headlight being on.

What is the tyre pressure you use for front and rear?

[ArizonaJim]

As I've mentioned in other topics here on the forum, the Royal Enfield alternator produces very little power when the engine is idling.

I feel this is a major contributer to the number of discharged batteries in India.
Everyone rides around with the engine running at, or just above the idle speed.

My G5 (Electra) only produces the recommended 14 volts for charging the battery if its engine is running above 2000 rpm.

[maddy42]

Congrats on this purchase. Could you let me know if buying a thunderbird to dad who is 60 is a good idea? I want the electric start to work more than anything else.

Maddy

[arulpeem]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Congrats on this purchase. Could you let me know if buying a thunderbird to dad who is 60 is a good idea? I want the electric start to work more than anything else.

Maddy

Hi Maddy, Thanks for your wishes.
The electric starter works fine and that should not be an issue at all.
The sitting posture in the Thunderbird is good.
The only factor to consider would be the weight of near 190 Kgs. Why not ask him to take a test ride and then decide?