[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by vkochar

BUT the backside screams for a halt after 45 min of riding - this is not a long distance tourer !

See it all depends on the road conditions as well as the traffic, if you ride on open highways with good roads, you can continue to ride a bit more, i went to Delhi from jaipur in the evening and came back the very next morning, took small breaks at every 100 kms and i was fine.

But if you ride in traffic with broken roads where you have to brake continuously, then it becomes tiring and painful for the arms and the back, and neck and shoulders in my case. Moreover our body takes some time to get accustomed to riding stance, the more you ride, the easier it will get. I researched and people recommend exercises which strengthens the core, you can try that.
This picture is from my Delhi ride during my break

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by vkochar

I took my longest ride this sunday early morning with 3 other fellow bikers - an iron 848 , street rod and another interceptor.
We went to a lake 75 kms from agra. So drove 150 kms in total
An absolute delight to ride this bike.

Originally Posted by adwaith

Here's a pic from a short ride few weeks ago. Been wanting to post it for a while.

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

See it all depends on the road conditions as well as the traffic, if you ride on open highways with good roads, you can continue to ride a bit more, i went to Delhi from jaipur in the evening and came back the very next morning, took small breaks at every 100 kms and i was fine.
This picture is from my Delhi ride during my break

Great to see your ride pictures. The problem with the the flat seat (stock) is that you slide forward on the INT650. We need to adjust our position on the bike in a while. The 2nd is the seat foam compresses if you stay put at the same points. For short weekend rides we always choose ghat (twisties) sections where you keep busy and involved and this bike is in its elements!
Both of these issues can be solved by having a contoured seat with firmer foam for the stock seat. Any experienced seat maker can do this easily. As of now I'm using cycling shorts for longer rides. I'll get the seat modified some day in future. (Been there, done that for my Classic 350 earlier)

Enjoy your rides and keep sharing!

/surjaonwheelz

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by vkochar

An absolute delight to ride this bike.

BUT the backside screams for a halt after 45 min of riding - this is not a long distance tourer !

The engine and gearbox are VERY accommodating for long distance touring.

The suspension, seat, and handelbar position, not so much.

That's the first 2 things that I modified. Got a better, thicker, wider seat cushion made, and got handlebar risers.

A lot more comfortable than stock.

[shabih]

Guys I have been reading a lot of comments around changing the light on this bike and after going through all of them, I am more confused now

Can someone please point into a certain positive direction as to how to fix the poor lighting situation without the need to change the entire setup or add on aux light

[Alpha8118]

Originally Posted by shabih

Can someone please point into a certain positive direction as to how to fix the poor lighting situation without the need to change the entire setup or add on aux light

I am giving a link below which you may find useful. He hasn't tested the light out in proper conditions but still it maybe helpful for a DIY project (should you want to change it yourself). You won't have to change the entire setup and also won't need auxiliary lights to have that led setup. The LED bulb he uses can easily be found on Amazon or may even be available at your FNG. Only thing you need to be careful about is that this light won't be very effective in foggy conditions. Hope it helps!!

https://youtu.be/VdQLZEIcFXA

All credits to YouTuber @KingIndian for the video.

[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by shabih

Guys I have been reading a lot of comments around changing the light on this bike and after going through all of them, I am more confused now

Can someone please point into a certain positive direction as to how to fix the poor lighting situation without the need to change the entire setup or add on aux light

Well the final solution is to get maddog or any other reputed aux lights for highway rides, and if you want for city use get the maddog headlight replacement assembly. I am planning to get the headlight replacement assembly after researching a lot.

https://www.maddog.co.in/product_details/Hr70

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

Well the final solution is to get maddog or any other reputed aux lights for highway rides, and if you want for city use get the maddog headlight replacement assembly. I am planning to get the headlight replacement assembly after researching a lot.

Good, you can check KarthikK's ownersip review for the same.

Cross quoting from the 'Upgrade Headlight lamp on Bike' thread,

Overall your options are
- halogen bulb replacement to a better bulb
- LED bulb replacement
- LED headlight unit replacement
- Projector setup / bixenons

I went for the first option, as I like warm yellow light. I got the Philips X-treme Vision from Amazon. The regular 'Plus' variant was not available so went for the 'G-Force' for 800 bucks sold as a single unit. Other option was the Osram Night Breaker which was available only in a pair! Amazon shows currently unavailable hence not sharing the link.

It's better than stock but not day and night difference but with proper low and high beam throws and even the 'pass' switch catches attention. As the light temp is warm it's difficult to capture the output, will try with manual WB in a dark patch.

As white output is a strict no for me hence the other options didn't exist. Further, that I like to ride in the rains, LEDs are not for me. If required in future I'll opt for Maddog Scout-x aux lamps, now that they have added yellow & blind covers to them is an added advantage.

Only con is the reduced life of advanced halogen bulbs along with AHO, we are simply consuming it's life! I'm not much worried of the bulb failing, I've the stock bulb as replacement.

/surjaonwheelz

[adwaith]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Great to see your ride pictures. The problem with the the flat seat (stock) is that you slide forward on the INT650. We need to adjust our position on the bike in a while. The 2nd is the seat foam compresses if you stay put at the same points. For short weekend rides we always choose ghat (twisties) sections where you keep busy and involved and this bike is in its elements!
Both of these issues can be solved by having a contoured seat with firmer foam for the stock seat. Any experienced seat maker can do this easily. As of now I'm using cycling shorts for longer rides. I'll get the seat modified some day in future. (Been there, done that for my Classic 350 earlier)

Enjoy your rides and keep sharing!

/surjaonwheelz

I live in the hills and ride quite a bit. Even here my butt gets numb as I ride and it's quite uncomfortable. A seat is on my list but I've been needing a new handle bar and that's on top and as of this evening I need a new clutch lever too, thanks to an 'L' board driver.

On the bright side got 27 kilometres to the litre, which I'm elated about.


As for the motorcycle falling over, how badly does it affect the vehicle? I've a Zana crash guard on and people tell me it's okay but I'd rather rely on opinions from here.

Thanks!

[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Good, you can check KarthikK's ownersip review for the same.


Only con is the reduced life of advanced halogen bulbs along with AHO, we are simply consuming it's life! I'm not much worried of the bulb failing, I've the stock bulb as replacement.

/surjaonwheelz

Yes i came to know about maddog after reading karthik's post. Until and unless i put on the BS3 switch i won't be installing the maddog headlight, there's not point in depleting the life of the LED.

Originally Posted by adwaith

As for the motorcycle falling over, how badly does it affect the vehicle? I've a Zana crash guard on and people tell me it's okay but I'd rather rely on opinions from here.

Thanks!

The zana one provides extra protection no doubt as compared to the RE one but to me the zana one looks over engineered or too much, RE one looks simple and one can forget it's there and it's quite sturdy as well. That's my opinion and i went with RE, looks are subjective so you decide.

[adwaith]

@yesyeswe

When ,y bike was brand new remember I wrote about hoe I'm having trouble with the weight? This morning I was contemplating writing a post to tell you I'm finally used to the weight, which I largely am now, but I fell from it this evening again. It was a moment of indiscretion when a person learning to drive slowed down too much mid turn on a hairpin bend and I slowed down as well lost balance as well.

Guess there's still a long way to go.

[shabih]

Originally Posted by yesyeswe

Well the final solution is to get maddog or any other reputed aux lights for highway rides, and if you want for city use get the maddog headlight replacement assembly. I am planning to get the headlight replacement assembly after researching a lot.

https://www.maddog.co.in/product_details/Hr70

Thank you @yesyeswe but honestly not a fan of jazzy headlights, I'd like to keep it looking old-school retro!

[shabih]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Good, you can check KarthikK's ownersip review for the same.

Cross quoting from the 'Upgrade Headlight lamp on Bike' thread,
I went for the first option, as I like warm yellow light. I got the Philips X-treme Vision from Amazon. The regular 'Plus' variant was not available so went for the 'G-Force' for 800 bucks sold as a single unit. Other option was the Osram Night Breaker which was available only in a pair! Amazon shows currently unavailable hence not sharing the link.
Attachment 2056001
It's better than stock but not day and night difference but with proper low and high beam throws and even the 'pass' switch catches attention. As the light temp is warm it's difficult to capture the output, will try with manual WB in a dark patch.
Attachment 2056002
As white output is a strict no for me hence the other options didn't exist. Further, that I like to ride in the rains, LEDs are not for me. If required in future I'll opt for Maddog Scout-x aux lamps, now that they have added yellow & blind covers to them is an added advantage.

Only con is the reduced life of advanced halogen bulbs along with AHO, we are simply consuming it's life! I'm not much worried of the bulb failing, I've the stock bulb as replacement.

/surjaonwheelz

Hey thanks, man! I needed validation for the Philips Will order now, put it up over the weekend.

[adwaith]

So this is the current condition of the handle bar and clutch lever.





I've asked for a quote on how much it will cost to replace and if the insurance will cover it, how much of it they will cover. The executive is yet to get back.

Should I go for aftermarket replacements? Suggestions for the same please.


I was looking for replacement levers and the only things that I could find were the CNC machined ones and only one sells in India on bikenbiker for 13K. I looked at tec bike parts and theirs cost about 6K when converted. I may be wrong but I don't think it would cost 13K to get it here. If there are cheaper options please let me know.

I'm also looking for a basic toolkit for the bike, since the one that comes with it doesn't let me remove the exhausts. I realised that when I decided to DIY the sump guard installation, since the service centre told me they couldn't do it since a bolt was missing. But they haven't installed the clamps itself. I should've checked instead of leaving in a hurry.

Thanks!

[JithinR]

Rekindled my desire to own this incredible machine again

https://youtu.be/YzeGPYJQf-o

[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by adwaith

So this is the current condition of the handle bar and clutch lever.Thanks!

Man i seriously hope that you get accustomed to the weight of the bike soon, maybe you need some more riding. Keep on riding and after a while you wouldn't even notice it.

Regarding the damage to the bike, it looks very minor, if you insist you will get insurance claim but in the process you will have to pay the filing charge and you will loose the no claim bonus which you get on the Premium of your second year insurance. So get an estimate for this damage and then compare it with what you will be loosing by filing for the claim.

For toolkit purchase a socket set of taparia or stanley, it works well and purchase a Allen key set of taparia. To remove the exhausts you will be needing a c/ring spanner to hold the nuts of the corresponding bolts, so you can buy an adjustable wrench of taparia, it can be used anywhere and everywhere.
Tools ate like toys, you keep on adding them to your collection.