[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by Tushar

Keep an eye on that recoil though. The auto decomp works well 98% of the time, but there have been times (during cold weather / monsoon starts) where I've had to repeatedly use the kick starter and I got a smack from my bike (Tbird UCE 350) that made me limp for 3 days. Best stick to gentle half kicks.

Thanks Tushar. will keep an eye out for that. One experience i can say is, the starter lever goes well till the level of silencer and starts up in half a kick (from the silencer to all the way down). Think that is was you mentioned by gentle half kicks.

And this is the email ID from which i got prompt responses. They called me and provided me the mobile number and name of my area's RE customer responsible and added him on cc as well. Adding a snapshot.
customerservice@royalenfield.com

Originally Posted by navin_v8

From my experience of riding RE's I will suggest a combination of front and rear braking in the ratio of 6:4 where 6 is front and 4 is rear. If this is coupled with engine braking then the braking distance will reduce to a certain extent.

Great tip. makes sense too.

Originally Posted by navin_v8

You can downshift and shift to neutral when you are still rolling at around 10-15 Kmph. Also since the motorcycle is brand new the gearshifts will be a bit tighter as the gear metals are grinding and clearing the surface. It will get better after the first service.

you are 100% right. when the vehicle is rolling, its much easier to find neutral.
Thanks again.

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Congrats man! It is indeed a sweet and gorgeous looking ride !
What if you already have a helmet??

Thanks. Well, some people have found a way to buy one from of the e-commerce websites. Take the invoice, produce it and then cancel the order. Some of these rules are implemented without too much thought.
I was also told its strictly observed in the North RTO. not much in practice in South and West RTO of the city.

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Is this occasional happenings or the neutral light doesnt not work at all? If the N light is not working even after slight up/down playing around with the gear lever you might have to get the neutral switch in the gear box checked.

it happened only once. Post that the N light glows when gears arent in an engaged position. shall keep a track and try to reproduce this when going in for my first service.

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

Choke restricts/cuts air thus making the AF mixture rich for those cold startups.

you are right. Had made an error there. apologies

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

It is not good for the life of the clutch cable and also the clutch plates. I am sure you will get the knack of finding neutral within some days of regular riding.

Congrats again and Happy riding!

Absolutely. as @navin_v8 mentioned, found one way to get to neutral when the bike is still rolling.
Thanks.

[tharian]

Congratulations on the new purchase!

A good and sensible buy and a mile muncher , make sure you do justice by hitting the highways once a while.

RE has been been going all out on Customer Service and Support from what I know from an inside source and it is slowly showing and should get better in future.
The company owned showrooms or brand showrooms are the best places to book a RE from. They are also working towards getting rid of the small niggles on new bikes. Small things that can make a customer happy with his purchase.

Have fun and ride safe.

P.S: For the alternate muffler, check Majumdarda's thread's first few pages.
It will get rid of the flat note of the stock muffler and give a more bassy one, but not loud due to the cat con in the bend pipe.

[FuelInjector]

Got my first service done today. Paps had well crossed the 500 mark, but the service guys told me to come in asap. Its either 500kms or 30 days for the first services (whichever comes earlier) to maintain the warranty.

Asked them to take me through a tour of the facility and how they clean, service etc and they obliged. one snap attached below. The folks seem cordial and explained certain stuff. Showed me my oil filter. it had few metal dust collected in it.
Dusted the air filter and put on a teflon coating. Is this recommended?


The bill came to about 1550 INR. was expecting around 1000 Rs. Anyways,hope this is inline with what happens in other cities as well.


They had a unique way of putting the service incharge person photo on the Bay he is operating for the day. Then at end of day, collect the feedback form customers and reward the person who got the best feedback. pretty nice i mused!
Dont intend to change the exhaust as i like the stock RE long bottle ones. They give the thump when required (revved) and when the accelerator is left alone, they give a HD like "put-a-fut-a-put" sound. the guy showed me a Punjab silencer and it had a very macho thump which had a clear start and end. But the vehicle was shaking as well

[john doe]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Dusted the air filter and put on a teflon coating. Is this recommended?

Now that they have invested at least a couple of crores in the dealership, they need to recover the money too, no?

In short, teflon coating and similar treatments are just ways for the dealer to make money and have nil benefit for the bike owner.

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

Dusted the air filter and put on a teflon coating. Is this recommended?

For the real deal, they might want to spray Teflon and bake the bike in an oven. So that, you get a smoking hot bike, that is, if something remains.

"Teflon Coating" is the one of the biggest scams here. They might apply perhaps, an ounce of 3M finesse rubbing compound and then, smooth it out with a pint of wax polish at the max.

That's a beautiful motorcycle you've got there. I still adore the old CIs. Got an Electra recently, did it all up. It lacked the essential feel of the oldies. Sold it off in a couple of months. Rode a Standard 500 and fell in love with it. I think, the Standard 500 would be the ideal "upgrade" for CI lovers/fans/fanboys. :-)

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

The bill came to about 1550 INR. was expecting around 1000 Rs. Anyways,hope this is inline with what happens in other cities as well.

The additional 550 bucks were charged due to Teflon coating mate. Else the usual bill comes to around 900 odd bucks rounding it off to a 1000 bucks. Actually even I was asked for this Teflon coat, my reply was thanks but no thanks!

Dont intend to change the exhaust as i like the stock RE long bottle ones. They give the thump when required (revved) and when the accelerator is left alone, they give a HD like "put-a-fut-a-put" sound. the guy showed me a Punjab silencer and it had a very macho thump which had a clear start and end. But the vehicle was shaking as well

Mate I would suggest stick to the stock exhaust if you go for long rides. The comfort it provides in terms of keeping the sound and vibrations in check will help you overcome fatigue due to continuous exposure to sound and vibrations. That Punjab silencer is a hideous looking and over the top silencer in addition to the horrendous sound it gives out. The choice of a silencer is very personal thing though, so end of the day it is your call.

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

The additional 550 bucks were charged due to Teflon coating mate. Else the usual bill comes to around 900 odd bucks rounding it off to a 1000 bucks. Actually even I was asked for this Teflon coat, my reply was thanks but no thanks!

Mate I would suggest stick to the stock exhaust if you go for long rides. The comfort it provides in terms of keeping the sound and vibrations in check will help you overcome fatigue due to continuous exposure to sound and vibrations. That Punjab silencer is a hideous looking and over the top silencer in addition to the horrendous sound it gives out. The choice of a silencer is very personal thing though, so end of the day it is your call.

Gave in for his coaxing and did teflon. not going to do so again

I somehow liked the stock silencer (till now). plan to stick with it.

@Tushar - i got my first recoil today (when i tried two successive kicks in very quick succession).

The N lamp glow is indeed linked with electric start. Only when the gear is properly engaged in neutral would the N lamp glow. And only when the N lamp glows, the electric start would work without depressing the clutch (as told by an experienced service person to me).
Not sure how true is this, but that was the situation for me two times as yet. Has anyone else faced this situation?

[ArizonaJim]

You are correct about the neutral light and the clutch lever.

The neutral switch is located on top of the transmission behind the engines cylinder.
When the transmission slips into neutral, the switch is closed which completes the electrical circuit for the electric start button in addition to lighting the neutral light.

Pulling in the clutch lever also closes a switch which completes the electric starter circuit.

The idea here is, it could be dangerous to start the engine if the transmission was in gear and the clutch lever was not pulled in.
By using the transmission neutral switch to assure the transmission is in neutral the danger no longer present.

The idea behind the clutch lever switch is, if you were stopped with the transmission in gear and the engine died (say you were at a stop light), it would be very inconvenient to have to shift the transmission into neutral to restart the engine.

Under these conditions, holding in (or pulling in) the clutch lever will allow the electric starter to work normally and safely.

[FuelInjector]

Second fuel filling details.

Start odometer reading - 460kms
Fuel filled for - 8 ltrs
End odometer reading - 742 kms
First service done at 650kms
Mileage computation - 35.25 km pl

Still using the bike in "running in" mode.

[Majumdarda]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

...
The rear view mirrors show tremors of what's coming on the backside...

Congratulations and welcoming PAPS. Yes, I should have definitely congratulated first but at the moment as things are not going so smooth at my end, so a bit late. But a definite good choice, will give you miles of happy riding.

Reading the quoted statement, I was so surprised the way you have described the mirrors. I had also used a similar similarity as my initial riding experience.

One trick to apply neutral with your PAPS is to anticipate the need. Try down shifting before you stop completely. I also used to face this problem and was suggested the remedy. It works wonders.

Also please advise, how you managed a helmet bill? I mean usually none keeps that bill.

Best regards,

Bikramjit.

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

Congratulations and welcoming PAPS. Yes, I should have definitely congratulated first but at the moment as things are not going so smooth at my end, so a bit late. But a definite good choice, will give you miles of happy riding.

Thanks dada. you had already wished me when i had booked it.

Also please advise, how you managed a helmate bill? I mean usually none keeps that bill.

Best regards,

Bikramjit.

shall send you a PM.

on a different note - have you seen or heard about a silencer called "launcher" ? have posted a pic on the "Royal enfield queries" forum. Have personally not heard of that brand and type. The guy claims it to be a new one and its selling pretty hot, it seems.

[Majumdarda]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

on a different note - have you seen or heard about a silencer called "launcher" ?

Launcher : that is a name of a silencer model. What next? Orbiter might be.

No Anand, I have not heard that name, but with so many options and variety of silencers available, its really pretty confusing. It's better to stick to stock as closely as possible. Or use one, which has been tried and tasted by many and whose verdicts you can verify personally.

The one that I am using was probably suggested by Tharian. It has a mild thump and goes good with the old school look. My next target is probably the handle bar, one which does not need extra long cables and does not pose any challenges at all in maneuverability, boosting the over all look.

Also I intend to put a honk type horn, (bhopu in Hindi), just temporarily for the fun of it.

Some more wishful thinking are as follows:-

1. Luggage carrier for daily use which does not hamper rear wheel removal if needed. Mainly for city rides to keep bullet cover, some documents and little grocery.

2. A good back support for my wifey as the one that comes with stock is just an ornament.

3. Might be some fog lights to helpnwhite riding at night. But then the discussion is pending with TBHP mates as there are too many options. Not too sure what is what. I will start this topic, so you may keep a watch for the same.

4. A flag pole temporary for long weekend rides bearing my club flag.

5. Yes, good non vibrating decent mirrors. Is that a possibility? I doubt.

6. Any more suggestions?

Best regards,

[sudeep11787]

Originally Posted by FuelInjector

on a different note - have you seen or heard about a silencer called "launcher" ? have posted a pic on the "Royal enfield queries" forum. Have personally not heard of that brand and type. The guy claims it to be a new one and its selling pretty hot, it seems.

Congrats on an awesome bike ! I use a classic 350 and have experimented with my exhaust.

(1) Stock Long one:
Pros:
-Perfect performance, Good top speed, is very quiet at high speeds, helping in the overall long rides experience.
-Backfires dont result in those embarrassing loud bangs and pops !
- I loved the way it looks !

Cons:
- Thump depends a lot on the state of tuning, a bit rich and you get to hear the thump, lean and you hear it less.
- You will hear your tappets a lot ! And whenever a bull would cross you, you will desire a bit louder thump !

(2) Wildboar
Pros
- Good sound for low speeds, dont talk about high speed noise !
- Increased my top speed. Mine became really smooth in the 60-100 range, It easily crossed 100 !
- Looks good. Very bassy thump
Cons
-Insanely loud for sane guys graduating from stock ones ! High speed noise will irritate you !

(3) Goldstar with glasswool (Dont remember mfg)
Pros
-Good sane thump
-Improved pickup !

Cons
-Still loud at high rpms
-Reduce my top end a lot
-Made my engine run lean ! I guess it defntly requires upjetting

(4) Greasehouse thumper (currently using it)
Pros
-Sounds very good and slightly bassy. Proper thump.
- Extremely light ! I was shocked when I received it ! Dint have any issue carry it around for the fitting.
- All aluminum ! Very good finish
- Has effect on low and mid range. I would say, 5-10 % increase

Cons
-A bit expensive at 4000
-Still a bit louder at high revs. But tolerable !

Stick to stock if you want a comfortable touring experience. Else thumper is a good exhaust.

[rakesh_r]

Some points from my side-
About silencers the stock one performs good.Right now am using Wildboar from AEW (AKA Pune Goldstar).At low speeds it has a decent bassy thump,whack the throttle and it gets loud.Speeds past 80 and the bike has become smooth.I also have an rrp freeflow (the most expensive,costs 8K),yet to try it out.
About mirrors I am using ones from Avenger as they vibrate less.
About horns I can recommend two options-
1-Hella Red grill-Excellent sound to size ratio (am using this)
2-Roots vibrosonic-Sounds good but a bit bulky

[FuelInjector]

Originally Posted by Majumdarda

Launcher : that is a name of a silencer model. What next? Orbiter might be.

Also I intend to put a honk type horn, (bhopu in Hindi), just temporarily for the fun of it.

6. Any more suggestions?

Best regards,

not sure about the next mode name. But as you said, they do come with funky names.

For Horns - Hella red grill is very good. grabs a lot of attention immediately when sounded. Bhopu types are real fun. But then i feel, it can get boring after few months.

Suggestions - From a practical standpoint i feel buzzers are needed. When i put on the indicator, the folks are looking at my bike rather than seeing which direction am turning. A sound buzzer might help to divert their attention and avoid mishaps.
Did you buy a saddle bag? that helps on long trips, doesnt it?

Originally Posted by sudeep11787

Congrats on an awesome bike ! I use a classic 350 and have experimented with my exhaust.


Stick to stock if you want a comfortable touring experience. Else thumper is a good exhaust.

Thanks a lot Sudeep. Many have advised to go for greasehouse as well. Am waiting to complete my second service before the swith.

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Some points from my side-
Speeds past 80 and the bike has become smooth.I also have an rrp freeflow (the most expensive,costs 8K),yet to try it out.
About mirrors I am using ones from Avenger as they vibrate less.
About horns I can recommend two options-
1-Hella Red grill-Excellent sound to size ratio (am using this)
2-Roots vibrosonic-Sounds good but a bit bulky

RRP must be a great one on your lovely machine. Do send pictures once you have installed it.
You know what - i went to a spares shop in Gandhipuram (Lachchu RE spares) asking for rearview mirrors and especially Avenger ones. The guy bluntly refused. He said, RE is RE. we should not replace with Bajaj parts . He also said - there is nothing wrong with my current mirror. Only if there is a damage, he will provide me a mirror. am free to go to any other shop. What a stickler.

Am OK with the stock horns as i tend to use them less (maybe because the traffic situation in TN38 is also not that bad). But i love the Hella ref grill. we have it on another machine that my in-laws use.