[eko]

The use of additional load on battery will depend on the charging capacity of alternator. It does not depend on the capacity of battery. Charging current of bikes starts from approximately 2 Amperes and upward.
Check in service manual the charging current available. Then calculate the existing load( You can use the simple formula P =ExI where P- power, E - is voltage- in this case 12 and I - is the current) . If alternator has spare capacity then additional load won't cause problem.
If the charging current is, say for example, 10 Amperes and consumption is 11 Amperes then gradually battery will get discharged.

[Vignesh_N/A]

Originally Posted by eko

The use of additional load on battery will depend on the charging capacity of alternator. It does not depend on the capacity of battery. Charging current of bikes starts from approximately 2 Amperes and upward.
Check in service manual the charging current available. Then calculate the existing load( You can use the simple formula P =ExI where P- power, E - is voltage- in this case 12 and I - is the current) . If alternator has spare capacity then additional load won't cause problem.
If the charging current is, say for example, 10 Amperes and consumption is 11 Amperes then gradually battery will get discharged.

How to determine the charging current? The service manual does not have any information on it.

As for the alternator capacity, this was picked from Duke 200 Repair Manual

[eko]

The separate figure for charging current is not mentioned in the data provided. The total output of alternator is 238/12= 19.83 Amperes. This is a fairly good alternator for bike. The charging current for CI RE was 15 A (Don't know the figure for current RE). Now we have to calculate the individual load for continuous load like ignition, battery charging, head lights and park lights ( when used) and see if is any spare capacity. This could be avoided if individual data is available in service manual.
Instead of making theoretical calculations better try a practical method. All you have to do is invest in an ammeter. The one from RE is suitable. Connect the ammeter to charging circuit like in RE (Can position it near battery). Run the bike with the extra load of 40W. If the ammeter shows always charge on plus side of centre position then the charging current is sufficient. If the charge is on minus side then charging is insufficient. Duration of this test to be atleast 30 min.
The ASS may discourage you from doing all this, better contact someone with real experience in auto electrical field.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Just one advice, please don't take safety lightly on these powerful machines........

KK

Originally Posted by MadRasTan4986

However please ensure ATGATT when you go out riding..

KK and MadRasTan4986,

This post is for the two of you. I have especially seen KK urging others to gear up, and the two of you brought that up when we were discussing my shopping experience.

Anyways, I had mentioned in those conversations that I don't take safety lightly. But, I realized how ridiculous my claim sounded in light of the fact that I had just done a 15 KM ride at non-trivial speeds wearing shorts and chappals. But, in my defense, I could not gear up adequately during the test ride as everything happened in a hurry; and until the test ride actually happened, I had no faith that it would. So, on that day, aside from the sad helmet that the dealership gave me to ride with, I was "gearless", as I hadn't bought any. Well, I decided to change that. Please see below.

Now all I need is a motorcycle.

FYI, I might buy my bike used. But, I bought all the gear new and spent a pretty penny on it. I have zero regrets about the cost because as I said earlier, I don't take safety lightly. Only this time, I feel less ridiculous saying it.

Incidentally, I found lots of good jackets from Biking Brotherhood, Spartan, Rynox, etc. But, this jacket is the only one that had CE level 2 protection in the shoulders and elbows (to which I added a CE level 2 back pad).

[condor]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Dominar comm..... Does anyone know how to find the exact month of manufacturing of the Dominar given VIN or Chassis numbers?

@Mohan, how's the scene at home ?

regarding the manufacture dates, in case you have not found the solution - check the tyres for the date of manufacture. The bike has to be manufactured after this month/ year. (Just a rule of thumb)

[Red Liner]

Hey mohan, those shoes look sweeeeet! How much for the pair?

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by condor

@Mohan, how's the scene at home ?

regarding the manufacture dates, in case you have not found the solution - check the tyres for the date of manufacture. The bike has to be manufactured after this month/ year. (Just a rule of thumb)

Unfortunately, things at home haven't progressed at all. I definitely underestimated the headwinds. Patience is the only weapon I have at this point. But, thanks for the info on the manufacturing date. Hopefully, it will become useful in time.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Hey mohan, those shoes look sweeeeet! How much for the pair?

9.5K for the pair. I got them on a Diwali sale. I really liked them as I wanted something that had the protection in the ankles, toes and heels; but was also usable as a casual shoe. All the other biking boots have too much of a biker aesthetic. I could not wear them to office without looking ridiculous; if I rode the bike in to work I mean.

[deepakchan]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Dominar comm..... Does anyone know how to find the exact month of manufacturing of the Dominar given VIN or Chassis numbers?

The chassis number is quite long in the Bajaj vehicles. So I will just quote the last 8 digits which looks like this. XYZ12345. In this X, is the year and Y is for plant, Z is the month. If X is H it's 2017. If X is G it's 2016. If Y is W, it's produced in Waluj plant. If Y is C, it is produced in Chakan. For Z, A is for April, B is for May and so on, up to M for March.

[MadRasTan4986]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

KK and MadRasTan4986,

This post is for the two of you. I have especially seen KK urging others to gear up, and the two of you brought that up when we were discussing my shopping experience.

That's some really sweet equipment. Glad to know you're serious about safety. May I know where you procured these gears from? Could you specify the make and model of the gear too. Thanks in advance.

Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

[hothatchaway]

Something needs to be done about the LED headlamps of the dominar, its blinding to a motorist coming from the opposite direction. Not sure if it's so on high beam but doubtful since i have observed this on far too many occasions from similar distances / angles

[Vikram8891]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Something needs to be done about the LED headlamps of the dominar, its blinding to a motorist coming from the opposite direction. Not sure if it's so on high beam but doubtful since i have observed this on far too many occasions from similar distances / angles

Hi,

You are correct. The default setting when the bike is started is at high beam. The DRLs are actually the high beam unit which are pretty sharp and do cause strain to the eyes.

The solution to this as a rider is to simply switch the headlight to "On" mode and make sure you have selected "low beam". I started doing this after the first month and it does help. When I rode with a few other Dominar owners as well, some of them were following this and some werent. In my rear view mirror those who were following the method were not causing any strain on my eyes.

I think this practice needs to be followed by the owners.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

.... So, on that day, aside from the sad helmet that the dealership gave me to ride with, I was "gearless", as I hadn't bought any. Well, I decided to change that. Please see below.

Now all I need is a motorcycle.

Mods... Sorry to quote myself. Please remove / move this post if you feel it to be inappropriate here. I am just writing in this thread because this post is a continuation of the posts that I had made earlier and will give the readers context with respect to what I am saying now.

_______________

Hello Dominar Comm,

With a heavy heart, I have now admitted defeat. It looks like I am simply not getting my motorcycle.

Without getting into all the details, I am writing now to say that the top class gear that I bought in anticipation of a bike now stands without purpose. So, I am willing to part with everything I bought for the same price that I paid for it. Incidentally, I paid 10% to 15% less than what they are listed for currently as I bought them during the Diwali sale. So whoever takes those items from me will benefit from reduced prices. Please note that this is not a profit making action. I am not a commercial establishment and I am not trying to make money here.

None of the items have been used as I never had a motorcycle. I guess some of us just get ahead of ourselves at times. I am of course quite dejected and frustrated. But, at the same time, I think that it is also important to close the chapter on something that isn't working and move on. No point in wasting time. Hence this decision to sell the gear.

People who are interested in getting my gear can PM me and I will respond. Items will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Preference will be given to Mumbai people as that is just easier for me logistically speaking.

Thank you & Ride Safe.

Best Wishes

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

At this point, it evident that RE is heavy on image and not so heavy on quality... All I am asking is that the RE bikes be true to their design and be of high quality and remain dependable.

...they unofficially spread the word that the problems of an RE actually add to its "character"!! ...I am being asked to pay a steep price, and then to "enjoy the excitement" of unforeseen mechanical issues. What nonsense!!

An analogy here to another time/place and the question of lower-quality/lower-performance "image" bikes of classic design vs. the obviously more capable modern stuff:

Years ago in the U.S. when some were recommending buying Harley-Davidson company stock, I toured their York, Pennsylvania assembly plant and promptly decided against it. Having worked in a production environment myself, I found the facility pathetic, quality control poor; I knew the bikes vibrated badly and were underpowered vs any Jap bike of comparable displacement; Worse, I knew of owners of nearly-new Harleys that leaked oil, had electricals catch fire, etc (any of this sounding familiar?). I concluded that the company would only be able to pull the wool over the eyes of the public for so long. These were just not good bikes, and the future of the company would be grim.

But how wrong I was! Let's just say that if I'd have bought a few thousand dollars of H-D stock back then (mid-90's) I'd be a rich man now. People kept buying them, waiting for them, admiring them, riding them, in increasing numbers. Nothing would faze them. I thought that the bikes were mainly being sold to "attention grabbers" / wanna-be tough-guys (with or without fake tattoos), but the revelation came when a cousin - who's owned many great bikes of all types told me that a basic Sportster is actually an extremely satisfying bike to ride - the whole feel of it was just something very different and very appealing.

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Only gripe we enthusiasts have...is that, for the technology, hardware, performance and practicality on offer, they are over charging every product by atleast 50000 rupees. (RE's) dont excel in any department except satisfying loud-exhaust loving attention seekers. No offense to owners. Our dads and uncles bought Enfields because they had a few options in that era. A 17 bhp 180 kg bike would have been a good choice in 1960s, but today, when even 150cc commuters put out same power output, and DO NOT vibrate at 80+kmph, I personally believe Royal Enfield does not deserve this much sales at all.

On the other hand Bajaj provides improved tech( better performance/handling/efficiency/comfort/ABS) in a very nominal cost. Ex- NS200 & D400

Been thinking about this lately, being someone who disliked / resisted RE's for years, but who is now in the process of buying a second-hand one... gonna expound on this topic at some point, but for now:

RE's (Bullet's in particular) may not excel at anything, but they can do many things reasonably well: Forgiving the obvious vibes, they can indeed cruise at 80 comfortably (and that broad seat and upright riding position really ARE comfortable), deliver 40+kmpl, capably tour Ladakh with pillion/plenteous luggage, carry a family of four, be serviced anywhere in India long into the future, hold some decent resale value, be easily and affordably customized, and simply display classic great looks, day in and day out, year after year - not slaves to fashion, these.

If you're comparing on the basis of "features" you're missing the point. Your dads / uncles could've bought Rajdoots or Yezdis, but the Bullet was always the more substantial bike, and the fact that there are a lot more of the old ones still around now (and commanding almost insane prices), whilst the Yezdis/Rajdoots (also great bikes, and produced in much larger numbers) were mostly scrapped long ago, kind of proves what I'm saying.

Your iPhone 4s - so wonderful when new a few years ago - is next to worthless now, and nobody's likely going to pay you even 30% of your original purchase price for a NS200 five years from today. In an age where everyone's running after the latest and purportedly "best" - in an age where things are increasingly unsettled and transient and uncertain, I think there's a subconscious appeal to something that represents timelessness and permanence and solidity - indeed something that transcends the generations and remains relevant, appealing, and largely practical after many decades. It is not a nervous, whiny machine, but one that can plod along at a decent pace in a very relaxed manner. The older I get, the more I "get it".

Second thing is, like it or not, the Bullet was a "dream bike" for a couple generations of Indians. Every old timer who owned one has a collection of stories from their times in the saddle. But aspirations aside, most others made do with a Bajaj Super or whatever. Improving economic conditions have made the old dream more than attainable for so many. You find retirees and 20-somethings and foreign tour groups riding Bullets and enjoying them. And you really can't get this sort of classic appeal and solid construction anywhere else in the market (well, Bonneville/H-D, if you've got 9L+ to spare). Do keep in mind that RE's are exported to the EU,UK,US and sold for much more than what we can enjoy them for here. Nobody's saying they're wonderful, perfect bikes - but they've got a certain appeal, and it's not completely irrational.

That aside, metal is more expensive to buy and to form than plastic, and the RE has a lot more of it than any modern bike. Paint quality and metal finishing quality (polished aluminum vs. painted/coated) is better than many/most other bikes at this point, and all that comes at a cost too. Obviously RE is making plenty of money these days, and yes they could sell them for less (certainly not rs50,000 less), but when it's quite obvious that at least half a lakh people per month in India alone are willing to lay out their money for one of their bikes, I don't see any reason that they should. Supply and demand, baby.

I too thought of buying an ABS Dominar second-hand a year or so down the road, knowing that depreciation would kick in quickly. But instead am now picking up a RE Machismo 500 - a bike that 8-10 years on is still commanding its original purchase price, in good condition. The 500 is torquey, will probably keep up with (or ahead of) most 200/250cc modern performance bikes and get about the same mileage they do, too (30-35kmpl). It feels very solid and planted on-road, the chrome continues to gleam long after the paint has been scratched / peeled / faded off any other bike. Starts even on these cold Himachal mornings on the first kick, and the engine is hardly turning over at 80kmph... It'll chug away up steep gradients without having to change gears, the chassis / brakes are good for 160kmph (even foreign tuners like creators of the ACE Fireball say so), and my kids like sitting on the tank, which is relatively horizontal vs. most modern stuff (or my Impulse). Spares are still available (if you know where to look) and not very expensive vs. more sophisticated stuff.

No, it won't pull wheelies... and I could care less. If I DID want it to do that, I could put a 535 cylinder kit and bigger carb and some other goodies on it (Hitchcocks, UK) and just about keep up with a Dominar, managing roughly equivalent FE, and ten years from now, maybe be able to sell it for 2L (if it goes the way of the iron 500's), vs. the rs25-30,000 the D400 is likely to be worth.

Hmmmm... am I convincing anyone but myself yet?

-Eric

[hema4saran]

Originally Posted by ringoism

An analogy here to another time/place and the question of lower-quality/lower-performance "image" bikes of classic design vs. the obviously more capable modern stuff:

First of all congratulations on the pre-owned RE. Wishing you a happy riding. Always ride with all the gears.

You are right in many of the aspects. Most of the parents in their late 40s to early 60s are nodding the heads for their kids wishes of getting a RE because they couldn't afford one during their young age. RE was a status symbol until the early nineties in almost all places of India. But seeing the number of REs on road today, the respect it deserves is coming down day by day. Also we are dependent on ASS for each and every issue occurring in our bikes.

On the contrary in US, the average age of Harley riders is above 50 which very much tells the story. It is steadily increasing year by year and younger generations are staying away from Harley. Most of the Harley owners in US are pros in their bikes and they know how to fix most of the issues. They will not allow anyone to even touch their bikes (This includes their own kids as well).

To be precise, 80% of Harley riders in US are pros and remaining 20% are wannabe pros. It is exactly vice versa in India with RE.

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by ringoism

RE's (Bullet's in particular) may not excel at anything, but they can do many things reasonably well
-Eric

You said it! This is exactly what most people running down Enfields don't seem to grasp. There are a few motorcycles bought for the romance associated with riding, for the charm of the whole thing that surrounds motorcycling, and REs deliver it in spades.

And life's not always about peg scraping or winning traffic light GPs or even having a Toyota on two wheels. Royal Enfield seems to understand this, and Eicher CEO Sid Lal has articulated this multiple times.

As a brand, the kind of clarity RE's top management has about what they're trying to sell is phenomenal. They want to sell experiences, which is why they aren't chasing horsepower, etc. Bomb proof reliability would be very desirable, but that'll perhaps take some charm away and make REs too appliance-like. :-P And less work for service centers too.

I've owned a Alberto Green Machismo LB500 (the first bike I bought on my own) for 3 years and about 60,000 Kms. Was super reliable, and only had to sell it because I had to go away for a while to study further. Even now, REs have a magnetism that's hard to rationalize. While I could afford say a Bonneville Street Twin for the retro looks and all that jazz, the ecosystem (what if I have a fall, etc) somehow feels underprepared in India currently. This brings me back to the Royal Enfield fold. And I really like the direction the company's taking. A 650cc, parallel-twin Himalayan priced at say 4 lakh rupees is something I can very well imagine myself buying. If I drop it, I'll be able to get spares to perhaps fix it myself. But the same story on a Triumph Tiger 800 may not end very nicely. And the LB500 was so easy to work on.

Cheers,

Jay