[green_ninja]

I have been taking the Electra on slightly longer trips these days (~90km round trip) to my farm and back. Bike has been running well but suddenly ran into a problem yesterday. I went to the farm and on my return I stopped at a friend's place for a few minutes. Then I tried to start the bike and the bike was completely dead. No lights and no power. Fortunately, I had a multimeter with me and we checked the battery, all the electricals, fuses etc and everything was normal.

My friend called a RE "expert" from a FNG and he asked us to check the ammeter. I remembered the ammeter had been acting weird the past few days as the needle was jumping all over the place. So we pulled the ammeter wiring harness and plugged in a jumper to close the power circuit and voila, everything sprung back to life. Bike started like a charm. The ammeter is connected in series to all the electricals through the ignition. If it is dead then the whole electrical system will be disonnected.

So, I rode the bike back home with the jumper plugged in and reached without further incident. Bought a new ammeter (Cost: Rs 300/-) and replaced it with guidance from YouTube. It is a pretty simple fix actually. Just find the wiring harness that comes out of the ammeter and disconnect it. Gently pry the ammeter out of it's socket with a small screw driver. It is just pushed in with a rubber gasket to hold it tight in it's place. Replace the new ammeter and connect the wiring harness.

Keep the rubber down and happy thumping!!!

[Phantom 510]

Ownership review of my Bullet ES 350 (aka Bullet Electra 350) BS4 MY 2018.


My motorcycle turned 6 years old today and has covered exactly 32,504.8 kms till date. It has been a very pleasant experience and I will try to share certain key points about my motorcycle and keep the article as short as possible.

So, let us begin with the negatives.

Negatives -
1. Weak 35/35W headlamp.
2. Lacks the finesse of a modern machine.
3. Stock 3.25 × 19 rear tyre looks weedy and spoils the look from rear.
4. Stock 15T front sprocket hampered highway usability. It affected highway fuel economy and also cruising speeds ( had to be kept within 80 kmph) which are crucial aspects especially on those long highway rides.
5. Braking is one sore point. It feels like a drum brake inspite of sporting a disc brake at front. However, one gets used to it as time passes by but still not it's strength.

And, now the positives.

Positives -
1. That evergreen and timeless Bullet design never gets old. Simple and understated look of the ES350 (Electra 350) suited me the best. It was just right. The Magic Black colour also needs a mention here. It looks like a black from distance but actually a very deep shade of green if observed closely.
2. It suited me much better ergonomically than the other RE 350's of that time. It was neither cramped like that of the Classic's nor overtly laidback like that of T-Bird's. The tall seating and slightly raised handle bars ( as compared to the Classic 350) puts one into a very commanding riding position.
3. It has sorted dynamic abilities for a chassis that is almost unchanged since it's introduction in the 1950's. It is stable in the straight line ,in the heavy crosswinds on the open roads, maintains good cornering stability (within it's limits) and mid corner bumps does not affect it much. It is a really planted motorcycle.
4. Ride quality (comfort) is one of it's strengths. The chassis (was meant for trail riding) alongwith it's suspension set up is absolutely spot on for our less than perfect Indian roads. At it's stock preload setting, the ride quality is slightly firm at slow speeds but becomes absolutely sublime when it picks up speed. It will flatten even the worst of the Indian roads with ease. There has been instances where it has surprised popular 'Adv' motorcycles with it's ability to smother bad roads.
5. Bullet 350 is extremely manoevrable inspite of it's portly kerb weight of 187 kilos due to it's extremely tight turning circle. It's turning circle is smaller than many popular 150 cc commuters. Hard to believe but true.
6. That long stroke pushrod operated single is one characterful unit. Off the idle tractor like torque is one of it's highlights. It produces most of it's power lower down and never breaks into a sweat when in the low to mid revs when in a slightly higher gear. It will just keep on chugging and eat up distances easily (albeit at slow pace).
7. Bullet 350 has never been about acceleration or topspeed. But i would like to share few numbers that i observed during my ownership. The top speed has been 120+ kmph on speedo and 114 kmph on Ulysse gps speedometer app. Although, it's happiest @ 60 to 80 kmph in top gear. It is very easy to ride during the traffic infested commutes due to it's abundant low end torque. It will pull from as low as 25 kmph in 3rd without clutch slip.
8. Fuel economy is just amazing. I have been able to clock as high as 54+ kmpl (when i really hypermiled) by tankful to tankful method. But, it delivers 37 to 40 kmpl easily on regular basis (city 30% + highway 70%). Only commutes will fetch me 35 to 37 kmpl and pure highways rides would deliver 40 to 45 kmpl ( if ridden sanely @ 70 kmph). It is so fuel efficient that it puts 150 cc motorcycles to shame.
9. Maintenance has been such an easy affair for me. I would service it at either 10k kms or 1 year interval. I don't use fancy engine oil or additives and stick to what the owner's manual says. RE Bullet 350 UCE is no high strung race bike that needs top grade oil but a very simple and rugged machine with no complex mechanicals. Getting it serviced on time is all it requires.

Few mods over the years-
1. Carberry Vibration Reduction plate - It's a blessing for all the RE UCE onwers. It has transformed my motorcycle. It has cut down the vibes at cruising speeds (50 to 80 kmph in top gear) noticeably.
2. Front Rubber gaitors from RE Himalayan - I had fixed them after my first fork oil seals started leaking within a year of purchase. After fixing it my fork oil seal has been working well inspite of riding my motorcycle mostly in less than ideal conditions for almost 5 years now.
3. Classic 350's (16/38) sprocket set - Once my stock sprocket set (15/38) was on it's last legs at around 30k kms. I decided to go for the ones found in the Classic 350 UCE. It has noticeably improved my highway usability and increased the highway fuel efficiency (by 3 kmpl atleast). I can easily cruise at 90 kmph in top gear without feeling very vibey. Cruising at 90 kmph now feels like 80 kmph with the previous sprocket set.
4. Upgraded to a slightly wider 3.5× 19 rear tyre- It has not only improved the look but also it's stability.

Breakdowns so far -
Couple of punctures, fused bulbs, rocker cover gasket leakage (once) and a flat battery (once).

Few other points -
Still running on stock accelerator & clutch cable and clutch assy.


In the end i would like to thank you all for going through my article with patience. Kindly excuse if i had made any mistakes. Regards!

[navin_v8]

The Electra has always been the underdog in RE's lineup, since its introduction way back in 2003-2004 (used to come with CI engine). During those days most folks who wanted a comfortable suspension setup (cushier front suspension and twin gas filled rear shock absorbers), upfront disc brake (although there were Electra models with upfront Drum brake), electric start (albeit only some Electra models), trouble free CDI ignition (read the temperamental CB point ignition), better pick up (thanks to a lighter crank shaft compared to STD models), round chrome mudguards (supposedly lighter), minimalist fuel tank color, etc. used to buy Electra's. The same thought resonates while reading the posts on this thread regarding the UCE Electra. It was the best mix between a UCE Classic and a UCE Bullet.

There has been some demand in the used market for CI Electra's with an electric starter off lately. I am not sure if Electra as a model was the first to receive an Electric Starter (in CI) or was it the Machismo CI (not AVL). My favorite was the silver colored Electra in CI form. Somewhere down the line RE decided to drop the Electra name altogether and now it is called Bullet 350 ES. I remember those days it used to be called Bullet Electra.

Fond memories...

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

My favorite was the silver colored Electra in CI form. Somewhere down the line RE decided to drop the Electra name altogether and now it is called Bullet 350 ES. I remember those days it used to be called Bullet Electra.

Fond memories...

I have a 2001 Electra, which is still used by us, and to date, it gives me more joy to ride it than the 2017 Classic 350. Back in those days, bullets were not as common as we see today. I have a person in our hometown who has a 1970s or 1980s Bullet in which he has added an electric starter as the back kick is too much to bear, and it’s tough for him as he is old too.

[Thyag]

One of our close relative was using only Bullet during my school & college years, he used to work abroad - so every time he used to sell the bike during contract time and when he comes back for a long leave will buy a brand new bullet or used one. As far as I know he changed minimum 6-7 bullets. The demand and drama of owning a RE is not going to fade away anytime sooner with crazier people like above.

I personally feel that the range of products by RE is just overhyped with pricing being just outrageous, onus is on the competition also as they didn't even try to build something competitive till recent times.

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by Thyag

I personally feel that the range of products by RE is just overhyped with pricing being just outrageous, onus is on the competition also as they didn't even try to build something competitive till recent times.

Hey Thyag, you are free to choose any product that you feel is worth your money. As for crazy people like me, there is also an emotional attachment to it that certain people do have to their vehicles. The Electra is as old as me, and I grew up taking endless rides on it, and needless to say, I learned to ride on it too. As for the drama aspect, I haven’t had any drama with mine or demands. (except people wanting to buy it!)

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

I have a 2001 Electra, which is still used by us, and to date, it gives me more joy to ride it than the 2017 Classic 350. Back in those days, bullets were not as common as we see today. I have a person in our hometown who has a 1970s or 1980s Bullet in which he has added an electric starter as the back kick is too much to bear, and it’s tough for him as he is old too.

Nice ride mate. I see that you have the Electra in my favorite silver color. Does it come with CDI ignition or TCI ignition? I am sure it comes with a CDI ignition as it is a 2001 model. Also you have the traditional 4 speed albion gearbox instead of the left side gear shifter 5 speed gearbox that came later on the Electra CI's. I owned a AVL 2004 Tbird that used to come with CDI ignition and the 5 speed gearbox with left side gear shifter. I own another couple of Bullet CI's with the traditional 4 speed gearbox and would say that the 4 gear is like an automatic transmission single gear. It allows one to go as low as 20-30 KMPH and up until 80-100 KMPH without any sort of clutch slipping, knocking or lugging. Flat Torque Curve is what it is called. I enjoy riding it in choc-a-bloc Bombay traffic where average speeds seldom hit 40 KMPH.

Another dream motorcycle of mine was the Bullet Machismo AVL 500 (5 speed). It was a peach of a motorcycle that I couldn't buy at that time.

[Thyag]

Originally Posted by Theyota

all this drama to get hold of these technologically obsolete machines.

Aptly said. Companies like RE, Mahindra are just creating artificial demand and playing with people's hard earned money.

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Hey crazy

Obviously it is your money, you buy or splurge is your wish.

General (psychological) Observation (Not intended to hurt or snub anybody) :-

The concept of this drama or craziness is called social proof aka herd instinct, it simply dictates that individuals feel they are behaving correctly as they act the same as other people. In other words, the more people who follow a certain idea, the better we deem the idea to be. And the more people who display a certain behavior the more appropriate this behavior is judged to be by others. This is, of course, absurd.

If 50 million people say or do something foolish, it is still foolish - says novelist Somerset Maugham.

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by Thyag

Obviously it is your money, you buy or splurge is your wish.

I frankly don’t know if you understand that my Electra is different from the Electra mentioned on this thread, which was a newly launched Electra at that time with the usual RE niggles. My Electra is a 2001 CI one, which rarely dies and can be usually fixed by a good mechanic. We have more crazy people like me, and you can check out these threads- 1, 2

General (psychological) Observation (Not intended to hurt or snub anybody) :-

The concept of this drama or craziness is called social proof aka herd instinct, it simply dictates that individuals feel they are behaving correctly as they act the same as other people. In other words, the more people who follow a certain idea, the better we deem the idea to be. And the more people who display a certain behavior the more appropriate this behavior is judged to be by others. This is, of course, absurd.

If 50 million people say or do something foolish, it is still foolish - says novelist Somerset Maugham.

In the days of yore, when people were riding Hero Honda Splendor(s) and Yamaha(s), seldom did you see a foolish riding an RE, as it wasn’t very common. I quite agree that they have become much more common for the herd now, but that wasn’t always the case.