[Biker Ram]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Guys,
Picking up my INT 650 on Monday; what's the view with regards to the engine guard and the sump guard? My view wrt to accessories was to run the bike for a while and then figure out the changes I need to do on a requirement basis. But considering this is my first RE and exposure to 200kg+ bikes, do the above guards are absolutely a no-brainer decision?

Engine guard or crash guard is a must. Go for it. Sump guard will reduce ground clearance to some extent, but will provide protection against some of ugly speed breakers particularly when you are riding with a pillion. I got both of it fitted before leaving the showroom.
Those 'For Royal Enfield' are aftermarket and not from RE. Official RE crash guard for 650 costs around 3.5k.

[psmenon]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Congratulations on finally getting your bike! Sorry, that I had to steal your booking. I was frantically visiting the showroom everyday and on that fateful day when I went in, they offered me the Orange Crush stating that you weren't ready to buy this now. Well, thanks to you I got the bike within a month and a half of booking it. What I actually booked was the Ravishing Red, but didn't have the patience to wait for ever for it to be delivered.

I was happy to know that it was another BHPian who took the bike Enjoy the bike, it was destined for you.

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Silver was the other colour which i loved. Did not opt for as it would keep reminding me of the silver bonnie i had. I still strongly feel that the bonnie has much refined lines, better silhoutte, better balanced elements, better integration and transition of form etc, purely from aesthetic point of view. So best to stay away from constant mental comparison in silver. Just look at those beauties.

I saw a bike at 'Art of Motorcycles' with a seat similar to the bonnie and it was a great fit and looked better than the stock seat. Looking forward to get something similar for the bike.

@admin can you please combine both posts.

[greenoval]

Took my GT650 for the first free service at 480 kms. Had no issues to report and was anticipating an early return back home. However, by the time the service advisor finished his work it was 4 pm. I was observing the work being done on the bike from the waiting area. The 650 expert was working on the bike for the entire duration the bike was on the service bay, so not really complaining about the delay. Based on Bhpian Torino's first service cost, I was expecting a bill close to Rs2700/-. However, ended up paying around Rs. 3400/-. The additional expense was on the 'cylinder head gasket', a rubber packing at the top of the engine which has to be replaced at 1st service.

Post service the engine has become super smooth. The slight roughness/ coarseness that was there, has now completely disappeared. I have test ridden the Ninja 300 and this 650 after the first service is as smooth if not better than Ninja. The downside is the exhaust note. The coarseness which gave the bike peculiar grainy burble is now replaced by a smooth revvy note. Would have preferred this a bit louder though.

Also, took the opportunity to check if the rear suspension of my bike has the yellow rubber buffer. The bike is March 2019 manufactured model and was relieved to find the buffer fitted from the factory. The Works manager at the service center was extremely confident that 650s had this buffer right from the time the bikes were launched and the absence of this on older bikes is some kind of misinformation floating around.

[Haroon]

Originally Posted by greenoval

Took my GT650 for the first free service at 480 kms...............
However, ended up paying around Rs. 3400/-. The additional expense was on the 'cylinder head gasket', a rubber packing at the top of the engine which has to be replaced at 1st service.

Although the service bill is relatively reasonable, I find it strange they had to replace the Engine Head Gasket at the first free service! By normal standards thats definitely a warranty item as engine head gaskets do not have to be opened up for the first service as valve adjustment intervals on most modern bikes are after several thousand kms. Even if RE found valves out of sync or some leaks, then its a work to be covered under warranty. Of course I am not familiar with RE service so I could be wrong but I haven't come across such an item needing replacement in the very first service. Would like to hear more details on that from knowledgeable members on this subject.

[ArizonaJim]

I'm sure the gasket or seal they replaced was not actually the cylinder head gasket that seals the head to the cylinders.

Greenoval said, " The additional expense was on the 'cylinder head gasket', a rubber packing at the top of the engine which has to be replaced at 1st service. "

True cylinder head gaskets as we normally think of them are not rubber packings.

I do find it interesting that any rubber packings would need to be replaced as a part of a 1st service though.

Normally rubber packings will last for years unless there was a design error and the wrong type of rubber was used.
If that was the case, IMO there should have been no charge for the replacement or the time involved in replacing it.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Haroon

. Would like to hear more details on that from knowledgeable members on this subject.

Apparently RE has recently mandated checking / adjustment of valve clearance during 1st service.
So the cylinder head had to be opened. Once you open this, it is best to use a fresh gasket while re-fitting. (even if the old one isn't damaged).

However in several recent Delhi and Gurgaon based servicing they have not charged for this gasket replacement as it was done under warranty. A Chennai based owner (on XBHP forum) who was charged for this, shot a mail and his complaint was acknowledged by RE(link), although it isn't clear if the charges were reversed.

Give it a try from your side. The post on the Delhi / Gurgaon servicing is a few pages back on the above thread link.

Originally Posted by ArizonaJim

If that was the case, IMO there should have been no charge for the replacement or the time involved in replacing it.

[ashwinprakas]

Changing seals/gasket after removal is regarded to be a better practice.

I've done the same when setting the valve lash on my CT100B for the first time.

DIY: Setting the Tappet Clearance of a Motorcycle (Bajaj CT100B)

Though what I do not approve of is the early setting, though recommended to be checked at 500kms and every 5k henceforth usually in the interest of not abusing engine bolt threads the clearance is set only when the motorcycle starts to make a racket.

My CT100B's was set at 25k kms, whereas my P220's is yet to be set at 40k kms as there has never been any noise from the head.

Though I know the mechanic is following protocol to the dot, it does hurt to see sensitive parts being taken off without actually being warranted for.

Regards,
A.P.

[shabih]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Changing seals/gasket after removal is regarded to be a better practice.
=======
Though I know the mechanic is following protocol to the dot, it does hurt to see sensitive parts being taken off without actually being warranted for.

Regards,
A.P.

I absolutely agree with you on this. In fact, a fellow GT650 owner friend told me he got to know about a couple of 650 owners who noticed tappet noise after this 'mandatory check' was performed on their engines. At my first service, I asked the service engineer not to open my bike's engine fearing it might complicate things, if it ain't broken why fix it. He complied as well and told me he doesn't notice anything that needs be fixed.

[ninjatalli]

So I picked up my Interceptor 650 yesterday; it took almost ~5 months for the December booking to materialize into the delivery. The delivery process was quite smooth and took a few days over the week.

I plan to get over the initial 500 kms (for the first servicing) through a means of one or two short trips around Chennai over the coming week.

Initial observations (comparison is only against the limited # of drives on the TD 650 vehicle & my brother's Pulsar)

- The engine does let of hot air, especially when driving within the city. Not a problem but to someone who's upgrading from a Pulsar/car, this is new
- Like my brother's Pulsar, I still have to make a few attempts in finding the neutral (duh!)
- The gearbox which is butter smooth on normal speeds, feels a bit "grindy" at low speeds, especially on the lower gears. Need to analyze this further
- I am still to find an issue with the soft seat; guess that I'll figure out on a long drive
- Driving in city traffic on this bike isn't a problem at all, but it gives you a feeling of overkill. Like if I am driving a Ferrari to go to the office.
- I don't like the headlight-always-on feature. Feels a waste of energy during the daytime. Any options to turn off this feature?
- I was under the impression the engine would be shut-off (/won't start) if the side stand remains lowered; now that didn't happen on my bike
- I didn't go for the engine guard for now. Want to ride around on the stock vehicle before I start adding accessories




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Btw the family is thankfully under the impression that Enfield bikes come for an expensive tag of 1L INR. I sincerely hope they never figure out the truth!

P.s. Anyone in Chennai open to spare one of the smaller (& thin) transparent TBHP sticker? Much appreciated if anyone could!

[krishnaprasad]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

- I was under the impression the engine would be shut-off (/won't start) if the side stand remains lowered; now that didn't happen on my bike

It does, when you put the vehicle in gear with the side-stand on (even with the clutch disengaged).

[adises]

Switched from Ravishing Red to Silver Spectre today because the dealer said they have no visibility on when that colour will be dispatched from the factory. Silver was available for immediate purchase and I really liked how it looks. Delivery due sometime end of next week.

[nasirkaka]

Originally Posted by adises

Switched from Ravishing Red to Silver Spectre today because the dealer said they have no visibility on when that colour will be dispatched from the factory. Silver was available for immediate purchase and I really liked how it looks. Delivery due sometime end of next week.

Personally, i prefer the Silver Spectre over the Ravishing Red. Think silver would have looked even better with black rims, mirrors etc. That said, sad part is that there no communication from RE over why the ravishing red and baker express are being delayed so much. They surely do owe customers an explanation where they promise delivery under 90 days on booking receipt and are not able to deliver the bike even after 150 days.

[adises]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Personally, i prefer the Silver Spectre over the Ravishing Red. Think silver would have looked even better with black rims, mirrors etc. That said, sad part is that there no communication from RE over why the ravishing red and baker express are being delayed so much. They surely do owe customers an explanation where they promise delivery under 90 days on booking receipt and are not able to deliver the bike even after 150 days.

Haha I complete 147 days of waiting today. It really is a mystery to me why RE isn't commenting on the delay of certain colours - to an extent even dealers are a bit frustrated because they have to keep fielding the queries blindly.

I'm hoping the alloys they are planning to launch look good (I like spokes but value the advantage of fixing a tubeless tyre puncture more, especially when you think about how most highway puncture repair guys remove tyres).

[lagnajit]

Originally Posted by adises

Haha I complete 147 days of waiting today. It really is a mystery to me why RE isn't commenting on the delay of certain colours - to an extent even dealers are a bit frustrated because they have to keep fielding the queries blindly.

It's 144 days for me. I talked to my dealer yesterday (again) and he mentioned that this week 250 bikes are getting out of plant. Expect Ravishing Red deliveries in next two week.

Fingers crossed!

[adises]

Originally Posted by lagnajit

It's 144 days for me. I talked to my dealer yesterday (again) and he mentioned that this week 250 bikes are getting out of plant. Expect Ravishing Red deliveries in next two week.

Fingers crossed!

Haha all the best man, which dealer did you book it at? I picked the brand showroom in Bandra thinking it would help. But I must say the Bandra showroom people are absolute professionals, never once did they show anything but patience whenever I followed up