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Old 28th March 2015, 20:55   #1
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Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Disclaimer: I can neither confirm or deny accuracy of this post. It's not my intent to hurt feelings of vehicles or animals (including humans), if I do...deal with it. This post might be harmful to your wallet, consider yourself WARNED! Finally, I do not take any responsibility for this post, neither should you.

Prologue

The last bike I owned was the Pulsar 180 DTSi. I loved that bike. Drove it everywhere, including a 150KM round trip to my parents place every weekend. Though it was fun, the bike had it's share of problems. It was top heavy, engine was rough above 80 KM/Hr and gear shifts sometimes had a mind of their own. However, it was fun, and that's all that mattered.

Then the proverbial life happened. You know how that goes....got married, sold the bike, bought a car....but lets park that story for some other time. This story is about a Royal Enfield and me.

Royal Enfield and me

Now, my friends would tell you that I am not a fan of Royal Enfield!

Wait, What? Ya, that's true. I have always likened Enfield bikes to Elephants, majestic, but maintaining one would be back (and bank) breaking, literally! Both are good to see, occasionally ride, but you would rather not own one.

The first time I rode an Enfield was back in 2003/2004. It was a Thunderbird Twinspark. Loved the torque, but there was something about it....maybe the fit and finish or probably my bias that made me not want to buy one. However it did prove that I could ride an Enfield!

The second time I rode an Enfield was when my neighbour bought a Classic 350. Took it for a ten minute spin. The bike's a looker, and that torque was so enticing. However, that ten minute ride left my thighs paining for a day. So still wasn't convinced that an Enfield was for me!

The third time I rode an Enfield was when I rented a Classic 350 in Goa for three days. Again, it was super fun, but same thing happened, left my thighs paining for next two days. That, along with the bouncy ride did it, Classic was not for me.

Then, come 2012, Enfield launched the new Thunderbird. I had high hopes for this one, but there was/is something about that rake angle that I find a bit jarring. Still, I was still open to owing one....but life happened.

Present

Boy, do we have options in the market now....or maybe not! I do not like plastic bikes, and don't have a tonne of money to blow on a bike. That makes my options rather limited. Sub 10 lakhs, it's couple of models from either Harley Davidson, Triumph, Hyosung or an Enfield.
  • Now, Harleys are big, and heavy, and ponderous, and I do not really have the physique to handle one. So that's out of the equation.
  • Hyosung are...well never seen one in person and did not seek one out either, will leave it at that.
  • Triumph, boy I love the Bonneville. It has a gem of a parallel twin. Love everything about the bike expect that obnoxious front brake oil reservoir, that weird green chassis thingy above the engine, the awkwardly placed rectifier, lack of an RPM meter and fuel tank cap without lock. Last two can be remedied by giving Triumph some money, but sadly can't do anything about the first two.

I was seriously considering saving up for a Bonneville....that's when I happened to talk to a bulleteer.

I was in Wayanad, Kerala end of December 2014 on vacation when I came to know that a family friend had purchased Classic 350. Mountains and Enfield make for an enticing combination, so I landed at his house to borrow the bike for a day or two. I had heard about the launch of Continental GT but had not really followed the launch or the bike. I asked him why he did not buy Continental, his answer was "Continental is not really a bullet!". I found this reply rather intriguing. If Continental GT is not a bullet, then may be its something a non-bulleteer like me would find interesting. Rest of my vacation was spent searching the web on what Continental was all about....and I liked what I read!

Decisions, decisions!

Back home after vacation, I decided to check-out Continental GT in person. I wasn't really expecting my local Enfield dealer to have GT for a test drive, it being a halo model and all, but surprisingly they did. Landed at the dealership following evening for a test drive. Decided to check both Continental and Thunderbird.

After completing the formalities, took Continental for a spin first. It was a revelation! This bike could move, it felt like Bullet's alter-ego! The engine felt peppy with oodles of torque, sitting position suited me fine (am used to a more aggressive position on my Trek 4300 and can ride it for hours), brakes actually worked, fit and finish was good (mostly) and is the bike a looker or what? Had an ear-to-ear smile at the end of the ride.

Thunderbird was next. Again the rake angle looked awkward to me. Seats were comfortable, engine was powerful (but not as happy revving as the Continental) but the brakes were a let down. Also, after GT, Thunderbird felt....a bit obese! In short it did not excite me like Continental did.

Handed in the keys to Thunderbird and took Continental GT for a second longish test drive. The 70MM grin was back on

Overall dealership experience was good. The folks were polite and warm. This again busted a preconception I had about Enfield dealerships!

Since I was going to plonk 2 Lakhs, I decided to check the competition as well:
  • First up was Honda CBR 250R. Good bike, however it's beginning to show it's age. Nevertheless, has a gem of an engine. Also, did not have good experience with the dealer when I had gone looking for a scooter, so dropped it.
  • Duke 390: Had ridden the Duke 200 sometime back, had liked it. Duke 390 was a serious contender (inspite of it being a plastic bike). Landed at the dealership, and lo-behold it was empty! I could very well have been in a graveyard! There were couple of bikes with do-not-touch placard on them. So went looking for people to talk to and found them in a back office chatting away to glory. Finally, one guy felt obliged to get up and walk up to me. Talking to him made it clear that I had interrupted some very important discussion. Most of his replies were mono-syllables and when I asked for a test ride he looked at me like I had committed some carnal sin! After being told that they do not offer test drives, and given cold shoulder in general, walked out of the showroom chucking the idea of buying a 390. If this is their attitude I wonder how they manage to sell any bike. More importantly, I don't understand how anyone with an ounce of self-respect would buy from them!

Anyways, long story short, decided on Continental GT.

Buying Experience

You can have any colour as long as it's red or yellow.

This turned out to be a difficult choice to make. Should I go with period correct red or that gorgeous yellow! This was made more difficult because no dealer in Mumbai or Thane had a yellow GT I could see. While I was mulling over the choice, got a call from my local dealer that they have a yellow GT in hand and it turned out to be a beauty. The dealer said that I could have it if I like it. So did a PDI, everything looked good. However, when I ran my hand over the tank, I encountered couple of places that I thought could do with some claying. This was odd! Wrote down the chassis number, paid the booking amount of Rs 5125 /- (Rs 125 extra because I paid by card, is this legal?) and told them that I'll call them to confirm if I wanted this particular bike. Turned out that the bike was an August 2014 make i.e almost 6 months old! Of-course, I refused and asked them to get me a 2015 manufactured bike. Couple of days later the dealer called me again offering the bike at 2014 price. If this was December made I would have considered it, but August was just too old, so refused again.

Now the wait began. A week later, the dealer still had no idea when the bike would be delivered. If this was going to be a 6 month wait, I would rather have my money in a Fixed Deposit. So wrote to Enfield, they redirected me to their Area Manager, who asked me to give him couple of days to find out. Followed up in four days, got an update that the bike is in transit and should reach the dealer in about a week. This was fast!

Delivery Experience

Not much to write here actually. This was a somber affair. Booked the bike on 4th February, took the delivery on 21st March 2015. Reached dealership around 10:30 AM on the d-day, completed formalities, was handed the keys, road the bike home. Completely forgettable! This is where Enfield could do better, make the experience a bit memorable.

Accessories purchased:
  • Performance Exhaust
  • Pillion foot rest
  • Dual Seat
  • Bar-end mirrors

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-dealer.png
Dealer: Sonia Motors

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-dealer_front.png
All set for delivery

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-dealer_side.png
Dual seat looks good too

Ownership Experience

Have completed 550 KMS so far, here's my take:

Likes:
  • Period correct styling and superb paint job
  • Awesome chassis, sticky tires and well tuned suspension result in very good ride and handling. Initially I felt the suspension was a tad too stiff, however got used to it fairly quickly.
  • Brembo front discs and steel braided brake lines result in very good stopping power. Had to engage panic braking couple of times, the bike stopped without drama.
  • The instrument cluster has everything you need, looks good at night too.
  • Love the sitting position. I found it fairly comfortable over a five hour drive.
  • Effective headlights and horn.
  • Smooth gearbox. Haven't had any problems changing gears or false neutrals.
  • Bar-end mirrors are really effective. They do not vibrate, also have a coating that inhibits glare at night. However, they do need some time getting used to. Also, these mirrors are heavy. I believe they act as additional bar end weights and help reduce vibes (or this might just be in my head).

Dislikes:
  • Welding finish could be better
  • Some switches (such as the turn indicator) could be a tad better in quality
  • The way wires are run across the bike need a bit more attention
  • The bike needs to loose some weight. There's no need for the side panels to be so heavy!
  • Enfield really needs to consider developing a counter balance for the engine.
  • An additional 10 HP would be welcome. However, the generous torque available early in the rev-range makes up for this somewhat.

The bike definitely is a head turner. People unfailingly give it a second look, enquire about the price, want to know the mileage and sometimes even overtake you on their scooter just to give a thumbs-up (true story).

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-front_view.png
Front View. Looks good in rear view mirrors too!

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-headlight.png
Headlight works better than expected

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-cockpit.png
Cockpit

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-instrument_cluster.png
Instrument cluster has everything you need

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-engine.png
The thumper

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-brakes_front.png
Brakes Front: Brembo, notice steel braided brake lines

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-brakes_rear.png
Brakes Rear: Bybre, notice steel braided brake lines

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-shocks.png
Paioli shocks

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-left.png
Left side view. That's my Baleno in the background.

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-right.png
Right side view

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-back.png
Looks good from the back as well

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-back_close.png
Blast from the past. Period inspired tail light.


First Service

I was really looking forward to the first service. Keeping the bike below 60 KMPH and taking ten minutes break every hour requires will power of a monk!

The experience was decent enough. Was asked if I wanted oil additive added and chain cleaned and lubed (instead of simple greasing), said yes to both.

Here's the cost breakup:
Chain Lubing: Rs 168.54 /-
Oil Filter: Rs 93 /-
Engine Oil (2.50 liter): Rs 772.51 /-
Oil Additive: Rs 270 /- (really curious to know what this is, I was told its a coolant)
Consumable: Rs 50 /- (read as: we don't know what was used but are going to charge you 50 bucks anyway. This is a money making trick every workshop religiously follow)

Whew! can finally take the bike to 90 KMPH, feels liberating.

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-kasara_ghat_1.png
Relaxing atop Kasara Ghat

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-kasara_ghat_2.png
One more

Random Ramblings

The sales folk hardly seem to make an effort to sell Continental at all! I was told it's only good for short drives and that the posture results in aching arms and back. These guys are doing Continental and Royal Enfield a great disservice!

ODO was set to "Mile" when I took delivery. The dealership folks had no clue how to change it to "KM". Google gave me the answer. Turns out its very easy to switch units. Here's how you do it:
  1. If the bike is running, switch off ignition using the key.
  2. Now turn the key "on" so that you see the customary full sweep of both instrument gauges
  3. Keep the trip reset button pressed for about 10 seconds till you see the units toggle.
  4. To switch back repeat the process starting from step 1.
Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-odo_mile.png
ODO in Miles

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-odo_km.png
ODO in KM

Am still getting used to kick starting the bike. For practice I manually start the bike at-least once on the days I ride.

I installed the bar end mirrors myself, it's fairly straight forward once you figure out how. Initially I ended up removing the bar-end weights, bad idea. Screwing it back on turned out to be an adventure in itself! Hint: You don't remove the bar-end weights. The orifice of the mirror "handle" is large enough for the bar weight to slide through.
Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-mirrors.png
Bar End Mirrors

Now that the old mirrors are gone, I am looking for some blanking nuts to plug the hole. Enfield do not provide the plugs, let me know if you guys know of something suitable and not weird looking like a Trishul or Gadha!

Have put Anti-Puncture Fluid in both tubes, cost me Rs 1600 /-.

I wish Kawasaki introduces W800 someday. Would love to own one.

@arulpeem,@gopalmg: Your reviews helped in my decision process. Thank you.
@neil.jericho: Special callout to Neil for taking out the time to upload all those photos I asked for. Thank you.

Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-tank_top.png
Parting shot

Last edited by sumithb : 4th April 2015 at 03:15.
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Old 4th April 2015, 23:24   #2
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re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Note from Mod : Thread moved from Assembly Line to Motorbikes Section. Thanks for sharing
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Old 4th April 2015, 23:42   #3
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Congrats Sumith! This is a lovely lovely bike and is the only Royal Enfield that I desire to own someday. And guess in which color...yes, has to be yellow! 😊
I wish you many many happy miles with the GT and hope you've already invested in a good set of riding gears.
Keep revvin!
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Old 4th April 2015, 23:47   #4
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re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

'Find your cafe, we have built a racer.'

Congrats on buying an iconic British motorcycle. Wish you miles of joyful and safe thumping. The Conti is a perfect blend of tech and heritage. You really feel like you are back in the 60's. The beast looks the part in yellow.

RE bikes are not that hard to maintain. You just need a very good understanding with your bike and you should pamper her occasionally. What your friend told about the GT is absolutely correct. The GT is not at all a Bullet, and it should not be mistaken as one.

Have heard much about the rorty after market exhaust from RE. Can you please post a video of the exhaust note?

Ride safe. Gear up before you do so. And never try to hit the 'magical ton.'
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Old 5th April 2015, 22:08   #5
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re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Quote:
Originally Posted by Porschefire View Post
Congrats Sumith! This is a lovely lovely bike and is the only Royal Enfield that I desire to own someday. And guess in which color...yes, has to be yellow! ��
I wish you many many happy miles with the GT and hope you've already invested in a good set of riding gears.
Keep revvin!
Bought the gear before the bike . Still need to buy riding boots though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel View Post
'Find your cafe, we have built a racer.'

Congrats on buying an iconic British motorcycle. Wish you miles of joyful and safe thumping. The Conti is a perfect blend of tech and heritage. You really feel like you are back in the 60's. The beast looks the part in yellow.

RE bikes are not that hard to maintain. You just need a very good understanding with your bike and you should pamper her occasionally. What your friend told about the GT is absolutely correct. The GT is not at all a Bullet, and it should not be mistaken as one.

Have heard much about the rorty after market exhaust from RE. Can you please post a video of the exhaust note?

Ride safe. Gear up before you do so. And never try to hit the 'magical ton.'
Tried recording the exhaust note using my phone , hasn't come out very well am afraid. Will re-upload if I find a better sound recording device. You can listen to it here.

I do intend to hit the 'magical ton', in KMPH

Last edited by sumithb : 5th April 2015 at 22:12.
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Old 6th April 2015, 18:21   #6
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Quote:
I have always likened Enfield bikes to Elephants, majestic, but maintaining one would be back (and bank) breaking, literally! Both are good to see, occasionally ride, but you would rather not own one.
Speaking as a fan and owner, your description is bang on

Quote:
Duke 390: Had ridden the Duke 200 sometime back, had liked it. Duke 390 was a serious contender (inspite of it being a plastic bike). Landed at the dealership, and lo-behold it was empty! I could very well have been in a graveyard! There were couple of bikes with do-not-touch placard on them. So went looking for people to talk to and found them in a back office chatting away to glory. Finally, one guy felt obliged to get up and walk up to me. Talking to him made it clear that I had interrupted some very important discussion. Most of his replies were mono-syllables and when I asked for a test ride he looked at me like I had committed some carnal sin! After being told that they do not offer test drives, and given cold shoulder in general, walked out of the showroom chucking the idea of buying a 390. If this is their attitude I wonder how they manage to sell any bike. More importantly, I don't understand how anyone with an ounce of self-respect would buy from them!
Your experience with KTM is the stereotypical one expected from an Enfield dealer. Enfield salespersons are usually least bothered because they know that 99% of the time, the person who wants one, buys one. I think the Duke's VFM has made Enfield shape up and made this KTM dealer take its customer base for granted.

Quote:
Delivery Experience

Not much to write here actually. This was a somber affair. Booked the bike on 4th February, took the delivery on 21st March 2015. Reached dealership around 10:30 AM on the d-day, completed formalities, was handed the keys, road the bike home. Completely forgettable! This is where Enfield could do better, make the experience a bit memorable.
Sad to see this still happening. The day I got my TBTS 350 I was too excited to care, but in retrospect, I realize that the Bandra dealer just wanted to get my name off their delivery list.

Quote:
The bike definitely is a head turner. People unfailingly give it a second look, enquire about the price, want to know the mileage and sometimes even overtake you on their scooter just to give a thumbs-up (true story).
Gotta hand it to the designers for this. The looks and torque would be my deal makers. Would have considered the CGT had the bike been larger in size and had RE improved quality/reliability.

Congrats on the new ride and welcome to the family!
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Old 6th April 2015, 21:53   #7
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tushar View Post
Gotta hand it to the designers for this. The looks and torque would be my deal makers. Would have considered the CGT had the bike been larger in size and had RE improved quality/reliability.

Congrats on the new ride and welcome to the family!
Size: The tank shape, narrow single seat and compact posture make it seem small. When I replace the single seat with double, the bike looks as big as any other Enfield.

Quality: I'll put this across two dimensions:
  1. Components Used: No two ways about this, the components are world class.
  2. Implementation: I think with Continental GT Enfield is almost there. Somethings, like the welding finish need improvement, but on a whole the bike feels pretty well put together. Fact remains that Continental is an unbalanced long stroke thumper and it would require tightening screws now and then. So if you are a "fill it, shut it, forget it person" Enfield (at-least for now) is not for you.

Reliability: Time would be the judge for this. I expect to tighten screws now and then, hoping it would not require anything else other than normal maintenance.
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Old 7th April 2015, 11:02   #8
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

The tribe increases, good to see another ownership thread of the under rated Continental GT here on TBHP. I hope you will keep it updated and share your ownership experiences with the rest of us. I was smiling while reading your post as it mirrored a lot of my own thoughts, doubts and overall mindset.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
I have always likened Enfield bikes to Elephants, majestic, but maintaining one would be back (and bank) breaking, literally! Both are good to see, occasionally ride, but you would rather not own one.
Like this. Before the updated Thunderbirds and Continental GT, I would not have really thought long and hard about buying a Royal Enfield.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
I asked him why he did not buy Continental, his answer was "Continental is not really a bullet!". I found this reply rather intriguing. If Continental GT is not a bullet, then may be its something a non-bulleteer like me would find interesting.
I think I mentioned this on my ownership thread but the Continental GT is the most non Royal Enfield bike out there which makes it very appealing to a certain section of potential buyers including you and me. The purists may frown at it but it helps bring new riders into the RE fold.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
After completing the formalities, took Continental for a spin first. It was a revelation! This bike could move, it felt like Bullet's alter-ego! The engine felt peppy with oodles of torque, sitting position suited me fine (am used to a more aggressive position on my Trek 4300 and can ride it for hours), brakes actually worked, fit and finish was good (mostly) and is the bike a looker or what? Had an ear-to-ear smile at the end of the ride.
This is exactly what I felt on the test ride.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
Wrote down the chassis number, paid the booking amount of Rs 5125 /- (Rs 125 extra because I paid by card, is this legal?) and told them that I'll call them to confirm if I wanted this particular bike.
Every merchant has to pay a 1.5% - 2% charge on each debit / credit card transaction. Most merchants absorb this as part of the cost of doing business. Some of them however push the charge onto the customers. This is why you will find shopkeepers suggesting you pay by cash if possible as it helps them avoid the additional charge. I had a similar experience with a Yamaha showroom in 2007 when I went to book my R15.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
So wrote to Enfield, they redirected me to their Area Manager, who asked me to give him couple of days to find out. Followed up in four days, got an update that the bike is in transit and should reach the dealer in about a week. This was fast!
I have found that writing to Royal Enfield for help always ends in a positive experience.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
Accessories purchased:
  • Performance Exhaust
  • Pillion foot rest
  • Dual Seat
  • Bar-end mirrors
Do think about adding a rear seat ring to this as well to ensure your pillion wont fall off.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
[*] Bar-end mirrors are really effective. They do not vibrate, also have a coating that inhibits glare at night. However, they do need some time getting used to. Also, these mirrors are heavy. I believe they act as additional bar end weights and help reduce vibes (or this might just be in my head).
Can you let us know about visibility at 80 - 90 kmph?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
First Service

The experience was decent enough. Was asked if I wanted oil additive added and chain cleaned and lubed (instead of simple greasing), said yes to both.

Here's the cost breakup:
Chain Lubing: Rs 168.54 /-
Oil Filter: Rs 93 /-
Engine Oil (2.50 liter): Rs 772.51 /-
Oil Additive: Rs 270 /- (really curious to know what this is, I was told its a coolant)
Consumable: Rs 50 /- (read as: we don't know what was used but are going to charge you 50 bucks anyway. This is a money making trick every workshop religiously follow)
Here are the expenses from my first service

The cost breakup of the service is as follows (all costs including tax)
Labour - Rs 112.36
Oil Filter - Rs 93
Dual Seat Assembly - Rs 4150
Footpegs ( Rs 219 each x2) – Rs 438
Flanged Hex Nut (Rs 6 each x2) – Rs 12
Total amount – Rs 4805

I had taken the engine oil so that is missing from my list. You should check with them on the oil additive and coolant. For chain cleaning and lubing, I suggest you get yourself a can of each from Motul. It will come to Rs 1100 for both and you can periodically clean and lube the chain yourself. Its the easiest DIY task.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
@arulpeem,@gopalmg: Your reviews helped in my decision process. Thank you.
@neil.jericho: Special callout to Neil for taking out the time to upload all those photos I asked for. Thank you.
Always glad to help. The thread calls for more pictures!
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Old 7th April 2015, 13:08   #9
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
Size: The tank shape, narrow single seat and compact posture make it seem small. When I replace the single seat with double, the bike looks as big as any other Enfield.
Be sure to put on a grab rail at the back. I saw a woman sitting behind her husband on the GT and it looked like one sneeze from the rider would drop her off the bike.

Quote:
Quality: I'll put this across two dimensions:
  1. Components Used: No two ways about this, the components are world class.
  2. Implementation: I think with Continental GT Enfield is almost there. Somethings, like the welding finish need improvement, but on a whole the bike feels pretty well put together. Fact remains that Continental is an unbalanced long stroke thumper and it would require tightening screws now and then. So if you are a "fill it, shut it, forget it person" Enfield (at-least for now) is not for you.
The components on the GT are pretty good and I really want to know more about the Paioli's bad road ability. I've seen rust spots on brand new bulls and other such quality issues, but I hope the GT has been given better attention.

Quote:
Reliability: Time would be the judge for this. I expect to tighten screws now and then, hoping it would not require anything else other than normal maintenance.
Lot of this depends on luck. I've seen Enfields that have been as reliable as a Honda and there are one's like mine that keep seeing issues with the cables, electricals, pads, liners etc.
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Old 7th April 2015, 20:03   #10
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Congrats on your purchase, wish you many many miles on this beauty.

2nd yellow GT here on t-bhp I think.

Didn't they ask you if you wanted it in black? I thought it was on offer currently.

How's the performance exhaust? Looks just a bit different from the stock exhaust doesn't it, I thought RE woulda designed a megafone or something.

O.T

Quote:
Kawasaki introduces W800 someday
Yep they actually should, its a damn fine motorcycle. If priced right it'll do wonders in that particular category where it slots in.

Regards

BOV
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Old 7th April 2015, 21:38   #11
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
Every merchant has to pay a 1.5% - 2% charge on each debit / credit card transaction. Most merchants absorb this as part of the cost of doing business. Some of them however push the charge onto the customers. This is why you will find shopkeepers suggesting you pay by cash if possible as it helps them avoid the additional charge. I had a similar experience with a Yamaha showroom in 2007 when I went to book my R15.
Yes, however the law does not allow a Merchant to charge above the MRP. Wonder what does law have to say in this case!

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
Do think about adding a rear seat ring to this as well to ensure your pillion wont fall off.
Yes, have asked the dealership to get it. They did not know the part no, however thanks to your post I did


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Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
Can you let us know about visibility at 80 - 90 kmph?
Normal, the reflection remains stable at 90 KMPH (haven't gone beyond this speed). The stock mirrors are fashion accessories above 40 KMPH.


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Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
Here are the expenses from my first service

The cost breakup of the service is as follows (all costs including tax)
Labour - Rs 112.36
Oil Filter - Rs 93
Dual Seat Assembly - Rs 4150
Footpegs ( Rs 219 each x2) – Rs 438
Flanged Hex Nut (Rs 6 each x2) – Rs 12
Total amount – Rs 4805
Shouldn't labor be free?

Quote:
Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
I had taken the engine oil so that is missing from my list. You should check with them on the oil additive and coolant. For chain cleaning and lubing, I suggest you get yourself a can of each from Motul. It will come to Rs 1100 for both and you can periodically clean and lube the chain yourself. Its the easiest DIY task.
The SA told me that I can't bring my own oil. Plan to check again during the next service.

I do plan to lube the chain myself (do it for my cycle). The workshop guys did not wipe the excess lube off and was spewed all over the place, including my clothes, rear rims and tail light on my way back from the service

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Originally Posted by Tushar View Post
Be sure to put on a grab rail at the back.
Yes, plan to. Have already ordered it.

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Originally Posted by Tushar View Post
The components on the GT are pretty good and I really want to know more about the Paioli's bad road ability.
The shocks are between stiff and plush. I have quickly gotten used to it. You may however want to check it out in person.

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Originally Posted by B O V View Post
2nd yellow GT here on t-bhp I think.
Third actually, Niel's, Gopalmg's and mine, I have been keeping count.

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Originally Posted by B O V View Post
Didn't they ask you if you wanted it in black? I thought it was on offer currently.
Did have the chance, thought GT lost a bit of its "oomph" in black.

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Originally Posted by B O V View Post
How's the performance exhaust? Looks just a bit different from the stock exhaust doesn't it, I thought RE woulda designed a megafone or something.
It does look very similar to the stock exhaust, just shorter and a tad more up-sweapt. I like it, has a nice throaty growl at low speeds and becomes less obvious as you speed up (perfect for those long rides). Have attached a link to the exhaust note in one of the post above.

Last edited by sumithb : 7th April 2015 at 21:39.
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Old 8th April 2015, 17:36   #12
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

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Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
Yes, however the law does not allow a Merchant to charge above the MRP. Wonder what does law have to say in this case!
There was a thread on this very same topic on the other biking website but it looks as though their forum has been down for a couple of days. I remember contributing to that a few years ago.

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Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
Yes, have asked the dealership to get it. They did not know the part no, however thanks to your post I did
I have wondered whether all that attention to detail would ever be useful to anyone. Now I know

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Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
Shouldn't labor be free?
I asked them about it during the last service. They said that during the initial services, the labour is at a discounted rate. One I run through these coupons, the labour will be charged at its normal rate which I believe was Rs 500 odd. I am surprised that there is this inconsistency in charging for labour, may be its worth exploring.

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Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
The SA told me that I can't bring my own oil. Plan to check again during the next service.
There is a noticeable difference in smoothness between the regular oil, semi synthetic and fully synthetic oil. There is a price difference for sure but in this case you get what you paid for. You should carry the cans when you go for service and insist that you want it changed. I am sure they wont refuse.

I think they are discouraging owners from bringing their own engine oil as they have those big barrels of oil on which their margins are pretty high.

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Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
I do plan to lube the chain myself (do it for my cycle). The workshop guys did not wipe the excess lube off and was spewed all over the place, including my clothes, rear rims and tail light on my way back from the service
Ouch, must've been messy.

Last edited by neil.jericho : 8th April 2015 at 17:39.
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Old 3rd May 2015, 23:55   #13
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

1000 KM Update
Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT-1000.png
Crossed the 1000 KM mark couple of weeks back. It's been fun. Have started to get hang of the bike, doesn't feel as heavy as it did initially.

In other news my Enfield dealer is gonna write me a cheque of Rs 1000 /-. Wait what? Isn't this supposed to work the other way round? Whoever heard of a dealer paying a customer!

Well here's what happened. The total amount I paid to the dealer was Rs 2,22777 /-

The paper work I received were as follows:
Invoice Value: Rs 2,02916 /-
Tax: Rs 12,668 /-
Registration Of Motorcycle: Rs 60 /-
RC Delivery Charges: Rs 50 /-
Insurance: Rs 4244 /-
Total: Rs 2,19938 /-

So as you see, I do not have a receipt for Rs 2839. I know these guys take some money to grease the RTO/Agent (Maharashtra is supposed to be agent free!). However, the dealer was not transparent about this.

Wrote to Enfield. Couple of days later the dealer calls to inform me that I have been charged Rs 1000 extra due to calculation error (and they take Rs 2000/- as RTO/Agent charges). Wonder how the "calculation error" is possible when the price list clearly says Rs 2,22777

Anyways, the cheque is ready, need to go to the dealership to pick it up.
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Old 7th May 2015, 23:39   #14
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

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Originally Posted by sumithb View Post
Wrote to Enfield. Couple of days later the dealer calls to inform me that I have been charged Rs 1000 extra due to calculation error (and they take Rs 2000/- as RTO/Agent charges). Wonder how the "calculation error" is possible when the price list clearly says Rs 2,22777

Anyways, the cheque is ready, need to go to the dealership to pick it up.
Whoever is managing customer relationships at RE deserves a major raise. I think this is the first I am hearing of a dealer having to return money to a buyer. Given that they have printed the prices (In Bangalore the dealerships have a printed sheet with price break up of each model IIRC, assume its the same there as well) I wonder how much the showroom must be making from other unsuspecting buyers though this phony calculation error.
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Old 8th May 2015, 19:24   #15
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Re: Me, myself and the Enfield Continental GT

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Originally Posted by neil.jericho View Post
Whoever is managing customer relationships at RE deserves a major raise.
I had some preconceived notions going into the purchase based on hearsay and things I have read in this forum and elsewhere. Have to say that the purchase, product and service experiences have been quite decent.

However, I would also like to add that in the multiple communications I have had with Enfield nobody from the Company has contacted me directly, it has always been the Dealer. So either the Dealer is very proactive or Enfield have the Dealer on tight leash. Either way, my respect for the brand has gone up a notch.

Quote:
I think this is the first I am hearing of a dealer having to return money to a buyer. Given that they have printed the prices (In Bangalore the dealerships have a printed sheet with price break up of each model IIRC, assume its the same there as well) I wonder how much the showroom must be making from other unsuspecting buyers though this phony calculation error.
Ya, its behaviour like this that leave a bitter after taste.
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