[navsjab]

Introducing my very first bike, a Royal Enfield.

The story so far: Right since the day I wished I had a bike!

The Introduction

It started from the time when I was a little boy. My dad had purchased a Kinetic Honda in the year of my birth. He used it as a stop and go commute to drop me to the bus stop when I was in nursery school and for other short trips. I still remember the days when I stood on the bike, keeping my hand adjacent to my dad's. While waiting for the bus in the morning I would try kick starting it and often landed up inclining the bike on myself and struggling to get back up. The bike was used sparingly and then shut off completely once I was responsible enough to travel by myself (without the bike off course).

Once I was in class 10, I asked my dad about the Kinetic and made it my mission to get it moving again. Dozens of trips to the local garage and finally the bike was back to life. I used it for even shorter trips, mostly just riding it it a few hundred meters and getting back home since I did not have a license till then. Soon after the bike was in good condition it was time for my 12th boards and my time with the Kinetic was limited. Few months later I went to college (at Bangalore) and the first action item for my parents (living in Kolkata) was to get rid of the Kinetic. They sold it as scrap and I was informed about this much later. I was sad for a while but could do nothing about it. My parents were just being protective so that their son would not get access to a two wheeler very often.

Our Kinetic looked something like this

(PC: http://alappuzha.saintclassified.in/)

Then came college. Like most of us, I too got my senior's or friend's bike to move around. I rode a variety of bikes back then, right from the apache RTR 180, Pulsar 150, 180, 220 to the Royal Enfield. With these rides during college came the desire to have one of my own. I mentioned this to my parents and they were not interested in any discussion on this subject. Finally they sent me our WagonR that we owned (back in Kolkata) so that my want for the bike would subside.

I was posted in Kolkata after college and I would often browse through some flashy advertisements of two wheelers. I remember this advertisement of the Bajaj Discover 135 and tried explaining to my mum how its fuel efficiency would help against using the car to and fro from work (20 kms one way). My mum in an irritated tone said that I could do whatever I wanted after getting married but till then just stay without these unnecessary desires.

Which Bike? and how it happened

After approximately 4 years, once things in life stabilized and I got engaged I finally got the courage to get the topic up again. I was determined to get a bike that my parents would approve of. I completely shifted from performance to elegance and with this Royal Enfield came to the foreground. Bhpian Partha (@psurelia) had bought a Thunderbird 500 and got it to one of our mini Team BHP meets in Kolkata. I rode it and loved the power it had to offer. The road presence and comfort of a stable ride impressed me.

Sitting in office one day, going through various blogs about the classic and thunderbird I had this desire to go for a test ride (TR). I took a friend of mine to the nearest RE showroom (from work) and tested the classic 350, as the 500 variant was not available for a TR. I liked the look of the classic in flesh. Since we were at the showroom we also tested the Continental GT. The bike was brilliant to ride. The handling, the pick-up, the braking all were good. The seating however was race oriented and since it was a performance bike it was a no-go for me.

My friend (Om) on the continental GT


Myself on the C350


During the first week on November I took my parents to the RE showroom (Shah Distributors). A customer relations officer on duty, Rajan was there to help us. To my bad luck, we were too late to be able to take a TR and were requested to come on the next day. The Desert Storm was outside the showroom and was a TR bike. I sat on it and also the Thunderbird (TB) that was parked inside the showroom and tried my best to be satisfied without a TR.

The DS kept to test


The TB at the showroom


Inching forward

After a few weeks of staying busy with work we were back to the showroom on a weekend. This time it was just my dad and me. I tested the TB500 and the DS. Requested Rajan if I could ride with my Dad seated with me. He was hesitant at first due to the company rules but allowed us for a short ride. I had never ridden a bike with my dad. This was an important moment for me since any small mistake at that time would lead to the chances of me forgetting a bike forever. I wanted my dad to imbibe the fact that his son wanted a bike and to develop confidence in him through my ability to ride. Lucky for me I did good enough.

Having ridden both the TB and DS I could not make up my mind. The classic looks of the DS with the excellent color at one side and the feature loaded TB (offering rear discs, many electrical features including the impressive focus headlight etc) at the other. I discussed the Classic and Thunderbird with two Bhpain brothers Anirban (@shomshree) and Partha (@psurelia) who had recently bought the Cl350 and the TB500 respectively. My fiancée and friends helped me pick the Classic Desert Storm instead of the TB. The DS somehow looked more impressive to me and to be honest, it gave a better look of the rider when seated . Also, to point it out I found it easier to maneuver the DS compared to the TB. Once done with the TR, Rajan asked me which one I preferred. I mentioned the DS to him. I was then asked if I would make the booking. I wanted the bike delivered in Jan (for no particular reason) and was told I could book it then and take delivery later. It suddenly hit my dad that I was really going for the much dreaded life of "Two Wheels". He wanted a week to re-think about the possible presence of a bike at our residence.

My dad asked me to have a talk with his colleague, DBHPian, Sutripta since he has tonnes of experience with wheels, be it 2 or 4 or... So I spoke to him and was advised to reevaluate my decision to buy an RE as it requires a lot of patience to keep up with one. He was also kind enough to offer his TB350 for me to be fully convinced before owning a two wheeler.

Just a few weeks from the last visit to Shah Distributors (Auto Division) and I was still certain about the DS. There were a lot of conditions made before dad allowed me to go ahead and book the bike. Among them were riding it mainly on weekends and not using it daily to commute to work. I gave this condition myself since the 20 kms one-side drive I do everyday is not a really safe path for two wheels.

The BIG day

Finally, I booked the DS on 24th November. Rajan surprised me by saying that there were Storms available and I could take delivery soon.

Then came the big day, 26th of November 2015. I drove to the showroom from work whereas my dad had already reached the showroom. He shared the pictures of the to-be-mine Desert Storm and I tried wrapping up work asap and was set to leave. The new bike delivery checklist was run through and the 3 liters of complimentary fuel was filled from the petrol pump opposite to the showroom. We took delivery after exchanging few documents for verification for the registration process etc. I rode while dad drove to the nearest Gurudwara. We offered prayers for the new bike sought Gods blessings before heading home.

Expressing the moment riding off in your very first bike with the not so loud dhug dhug in the background was beyond words. There was a smile on my face throughout the ride and longer.

Pictures received on Whats app by dad - made me droll





Finally!

Clockwise from the top
- when I met her in person at the showroom
- me posing near the gurudwara
- Quicksilver (my ikon 1.6) and the DS side by side


Post Delivery

I got a call from the showroom officials requesting me to pick up the bike papers on the 5th of December. A few day before that I was asked to get the bike's chassis and engine number verified at the Motor Vehicle Office.

They papers given from the showroom came in a nice pouch with the following within:
- Payment invoice
- Tax Token
- First Aid kit
- Service Booklet/Owner's Manual



I was requested by the Showroom officials to get my High Security number plate fixed from the motor vehicle office on the 10th of December



Completing the first hundred


Once the bike turned 100 kms old I just could not stop. Went for rides here and there, mainly within the city, met friends who lived at a distance and soon the bike had 300 kms clocked



From my 1.6k kms of riding experience, here goes a small list of likes and dislikes.

Likes
- Stability and handling - I actually prefer the steering height on this compared to the TB. Very easy city handling.
- Riding comfort
- Torque
- Sitting posture, easily accessible controls.
- The sound, though not as great as the older Enfields
- The headlight
- The paint quality seems excellent so far. The matt finish makes this colour stands out. Though I have heard many people asking me "iss paint ko maintain karna bahut mushkil hoga" (it must be a tough job to maintain this paint and similar quotes. I have not yet faced any problem
- Good coverage from the rear views
- Horn, pretty loud

Dislikes
- For the first few months, staying withing the running-in speed limit!!
- Vibrations, try riding the bike with one hand
- Braking, compared to the TB having dual discs. Unfair comparison but the bike costs just 10k less than the TB500, so.
- There are some issues I have come across since delivery. I am not sure if this is with all Enfield's or just a few. I got my bike delivered without the toolbox rubber and the left side foot rest a little lower than usually placed. Also, a friend of mine found that the gap between his bike's front suspension spoke and the wheel fender was a little less than usual on the left side (a Cl350). The service engineers can it a manufacturing defect. But a tool box rubber missing? [story explained later]
- I came across a section near the battery compartment that had slight rusting on the inner side. I spoke to the service manager and he comforted me by saying that he would take care of such paint issues in case they became prominent. Since he had some com paint spray in stock, he also got the service engineer to paint the part. This was actually a very small section which itched my eye.
- Vibrating rear view mirrors. No they are not loose. One needs to hold on to the clutch so that the image in the rear view is visible.

Other pointers
- The desert storm has good enough storage space. The tools are along the fuse box, called the tool box. And some of the documents are stored in the utility box on the right.
- The bike has been returning a decent 30 kmpl with a max of 36 at one point when the riding was 95% highway 5% city.
- The bike gives enough confidence at speeds of 80 - 90 kmph on the highway. No issues with road grip or bumps. Breaking is not great but good enough. After this speed range the vibrations set in and it starts getting a little risky, mainly due to the vibrations. The bike can still manage a 120 - 130 on the speedo with that power pack.
- The torque response is the best part of the engine. Very responsive.
- An issue with the first few minutes of riding is the clicking tappet noise. But this has reduced now, after more that 1500 kms of riding.
- Gear shift has not been a problem for me so far. At times, when one reduces speed and wants to go from 2nd to 1st, it gets a little tricky, I have stalled at times. This may need some practice.
- The under belly of the bike has touched a few poorly designed speed breakers. One needs to take them really slow with minimum bounce.

[navsjab]

Some pictures from the groups meets/rides

MINI BIKE MEET - @Balwant

With the number of bikes among BHPians from Kolkata increasing we thought it would be a good idea to start a whatsapp group for riding enthusiasts. Soon enough it was time for a small meet.

BHPians Sumitro (@BlackPearl), Avrendu (@avrendu), Anirban (@shomshree) and myself met for a late night tea session at Balwant. We chatted for quite sometime and then found a spot for some low light photography.

From the left Avrendu's Cl350, my DS, Sumitro's ride (DBHPian Sutripta's CBR) and Anirban's Cl350




MINI BIKE MEET - @Quest mall/Gautams

On the 2nd of January we, the group of enthusiasts from Kolkata planned another small meet at night. We assembled at Quest mall, chatted for a while, sharing new year greetings and then decided to ride to Gautam's at Salt Lake.

Attendees were Debjit (@delix), Partha (@psurelia), Om (non Bhpian) and me. Photo shoot pics follow...

From left - Debjit's Pulsar, Om's Fazer, Partha's TB500 and my DS, Om and Partha in the background


Debjit, Partha and Me


Notice the TBHP sticker


Our group ride to Dhanyakuria

Details and pictures shared by psurelia on the link below:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post3910647


Express Food Plaza

Left to right Partha (psurelia), Jayanta, Sayantan, Myself and Somanth


Victoria Memorial



Azad Hind Dhaba on NH2





Got rid of the back seat


Before parting at Dankuni Toll Plaza


A ride to Sher-E-Punjab Kolaghat, breakfast sponsored by Shah Distribuors

Assembly pic

[navsjab]

Service Experience with Shah Distributors:

First Service-
Apart from the Engine oil and oil filter replacement the other items include minor checks.
Few days after the first service I saw few drops of some liquid under by bike, I ignored it thinking it was water from washing my car.
After a close look few days later and seeing the mark not going, I took some in my hand and realized it was engine oil. On closer analysis I came to the conclusion that it was leaking from the drain nut, which opened by the force of my fingers. This was probably not tightened well by the service engineers. I took a wrench and tightened it myself.



Second Service-
This service is mainly for checks on various parameters. While my bike was being washed the cleaning guy got his fingers stuck between the silencer and the guard which caused a cut. Hence there was no other person to continue the job. Another guy was given the responsibility to wipe away the water and dry the bike. To my shock he used a polishing cloth to wipe my bike (polish for a matt painted vehicle is a big no). There was no one to guide him and therefore I had to step in and give them a piece of my mind. The officer in charge requested me to get the bike later for a free wash (which I have not managed till date). I doubt if there was any other work that was done on the bike before they told me that it was ready.



Issue faced with the bike
It was during one of my group rides that a fellow rider pointed out that my bike did not have the tool box rubber. This was supposed to be a part of the tool box in the desert storm. Since then it came into my prime focus and I went to the service center to get the rubber. I thought it would not be very difficult to install it and went back home and got to work. I was unsuccessful. Instead of damaging the tool box I found it wise to take the bike to the service center. I first asked them regarding the delivery of the bike without the pre installed tool box rubber. They were not certain about it themselves and said that it could have been that the rubber was not installed on this piece. I found that very unusual as there were bits of the rubber on the tool box and it appeared that someone removed it by force. I was advised not to get the rubber fixed as it would cause the tool box to lock very tight resulting in difficulty to open it later. I did not want them to try tricks on the bike if they were not confident themselves and therefore left it there.

A week later, I got on to it myself since I somehow liked the look better with that marginal black line. Few adjustments and I was happy with the result. A little bit of damage done but I told myself that it would be taken care of later.



Random Pictures:

The key


Between our Ikon and Etios


Posing


Focus near - focus far


With my niece, loves a ride with me.



Accessories in use
- Mototech Waxed Cotton Contour Air Riding Jacket (from amazon)

(PC: Amazon.in)

- Combo Of FOX Raptor Knee Guard RED + Probiker FULL Gloves BLACK COLOUR (eBay)

(PC: eBay.in)

- STUDDS helmet. Since the RE helmet was out of stock, I bought this to make do with. Not sharing an image therefore.
- Bike Cover


Closing Note:

I plan to keep this thread updated with my experience as a proud Enfield owner

[GTO]

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

[Tushar]

Welcome to the RE family mate. The DS 500 is quite the torque machine and is personally my favourite model from the RE stable when it comes to looks. Do take it out on some ghat sections once the engine's been run in to thoroughly enjoy the low end grunt. If you ride solo, definitely stick with the single seater look, but if you have a pillion often, I'd advise investing in a good backrest.

[Sutripta]

Hi,
Remember the Spiderman quote: With great (well not so great in this case!) power comes great responsibility. Ride responsibly. Preferably with a riding companion.

Regards
Sutripta

PS - Going through this thread, one would think I run a motorcycle rental agency!

[psurelia]

Navtej, It is a very nicely written ownership review. All the likes and dislikes have been put on the table without any bias but with all your emotions. It is a very tough task and you did it really well

And finally, here goes navsjab on his DS

[Samfromindia]

Congrats on your new bike, it was indeed a dream come true. You have gone to so many tours within a short span of ownership, kudos to that But poor Ford is not getting the attention it deserves I wish i had my bike with me, then could have joined you guys in the trips also.

[PapaBravo]

Congratulations again Navtej. The DS looks awesome. Your Ownership report is great. I am yet to see the bike. Wish to join you for the midnight meets but on four wheels. I really miss riding now.

Have many happy miles with DS !!

Regards,

Pawan

[navsjab]

Originally Posted by Tushar

Welcome to the RE family mate.... If you ride solo, definitely stick with the single seater look, but if you have a pillion often, I'd advise investing in a good backrest.

Thanks Tushar. Will be on solo mode for some time now, but yes, I ll take that suggest when I plan to switch to the two seater mode.

Originally Posted by psurelia

Navtej, It is a very nicely written ownership review. All the likes and dislikes have been put on the table without any bias but with all your emotions. It is a very tough task and you did it really well

And finally, here goes navsjab on his DS

Thank you Partha. Our trips have been good fun. Hope to see a TL with toruk (your TB500) soon.

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

Congrats on your new bike, it was indeed a dream come true. You have gone to so many tours within a short span of ownership, kudos to that But poor Ford is not getting the attention it deserves I wish i had my bike with me, then could have joined you guys in the trips also.

Thanks Sam. I drive Quicksilver (my Ikon) to work everyday, so no attention loss for her.

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

Congratulations again Navtej. The DS looks awesome. Your Ownership report is great. I am yet to see the bike. Wish to join you for the midnight meets but on four wheels. I really miss riding now.

Have many happy miles with DS !!

Thank you Pawan. Will catch up soon on a night meet, hope your ride the DS then

[puneetghai1978]

Congratulations on buying this lovely bike. I am myself planning to buy same Desert Storm and therefore would be following you on this thread closely. Do share your valuable tips. Have fun and ride safe buddy

[navsjab]

Originally Posted by puneetghai1978

Congratulations on buying this lovely bike. I am myself planning to buy same Desert Storm and therefore would be following you on this thread closely. Do share your valuable tips. Have fun and ride safe buddy

Thank you puneetghai1978

An update I would like to share:

I was riding back from a friend's place late on a Saturday evening. I had not noticed anything wrong with my DS (Desert Storm) then. There was enough light to spot a missing piece on my DS. I parked it and went home that night. A couple of days after this I thought of riding my DS and to my surprise, the battery cover was missing. I am not sure if the lock broke and the cover just fell off or if somebody stole it. Apparently the lock clip is famous to break/get loose, may be due to the vibrations. Once that lock breaks, the vibration during a ride are enough to free the cover. Also, the battery cover lock open with any RE key, maybe due to the above problem of having to replace it often.

Yesterday, I finally bought the cover and lock from a RE service center. The cover costed Rs. 943.