[Rocketscience]

That's a nice bike and nice ownership update, needless to say this is one well engineered royal enfield and there have been no major troubles.

However I would beg to differ for the adequate power and torque line in your review, bike reviewers internationally and even in India with their unreasonable expectations and condescending attitude have drilled it down our throats, 0-100 in 6.XX seconds and most of the torque delivered lower down like a turbo charged engine is sports car territory performance and it is felt even more on 2 wheels, don't let anyone tell it otherwise. It is not adequate, Pulsar 150 is adequate for our roads, this is rather explosive this side of superbikes.

[Shonith]

How did you caliberate the speedo error after the 17 inch conversion?
Did you just change the the sensor wheel? If so what did you swap it with?

[Torino]

Originally Posted by Shonith

How did you caliberate the speedo error after the 17 inch conversion?
Did you just change the the sensor wheel? If so what did you swap it with?

No. I did not calibrate the speedo error since it isn't a concern for me yet.

Did a 205 round trip last Sunday morning which started as a ride to Alamparai fort but ended up exploring and offroading on paddy fields and dried backwater bed. Took the GST road for the onwards ride and returned back on the ECR. On reaching home I went around the bike to check for anything unusual and found a busted front fork seal, now this gives me the chance to switch to a slightly thicker oil. Time to revisit the posts on fork oil upgrade!

[aargee]

Where's this place boss? Mind sharing via GMap pls? Reminds me of Rann of Kutch in GJ

[Torino]

Originally Posted by aargee

Where's this place boss? Mind sharing via GMap pls? Reminds me of Rann of Kutch in GJ

Sure. Here you go.

[Crankpin]

Awesome place indeed! How do the dismotech alu rims hold up ? Are they good rims? Also, which spokes (size/ make) did you use for these rims?

[Torino]

Originally Posted by Crankpin

Awesome place indeed! How do the dismotech alu rims hold up ? Are they good rims? Also, which spokes (size/ make) did you use for these rims?

I've clocked close to 5000kms on the 17 inch Dismotech wheels covering variety of roads and overall they are holding pretty well. The kind of roads I've been riding on my weekend short rides includes a notable amount of broken country roads, off road and abandoned quarry trails. There were even few instances where I hit unavoidable pot holes at speeds around 50kmph. So far no visible damage, wobble or anything unusual at all speeds.

Regarding the tyres, I'm running 110/70 Ceat Zoom XL and 140/60 Apollo Alpha S1. From the looks of the present condition of these tyres, I think they are pretty durable for the road conditions they have been through and they offer good grip for me sedate riding style. But 5000kms might be too early to conclude anything with the rims and tires. I choose 140/60 over the ideal 140/70 or 150/60 size purely to take advantage of its low side wall profile which provides lower ride height for my 5.7ish frame. Due to this there is a trade off in ground clearance where I have to be extra careful while tackling massive speed breakers. Have been maintaining 32 & 36psi in the front and rear respectively which I think feels right as I ride without pillion 99% of the time and my 73kg body weight.

[Torino]

After a lot of deliberation I finally got the Royal Enfield Panzer riding jacket and I’m loving it! It’s a waxed cotton riding jacket with pockets for placing armors on elbows, shoulders and back. The Panzer jacket doesn’t come with armors out of the box hence I’ve got the CE L2 armors for elbows and shoulders from Cramster. A new riding jacket was long due ever since I got the Interceptor and all this time I had to switch between my old Aspida jacket and a denim jacket. The new jacket will be used primarily for the weekend breakfast rides. Looked at textile jackets from Royal Enfield, Cramster, Rynox and even though these offered better functionality, protection and value for money, I didn’t quite like their attention grabbing looks and wanted something that goes with my Royal Enfield. Sometime in early 2021 while browsing through the Royal Enfield lifestyle apparel section, I stumbled upon the Panzer jacket and got hooked with its vintage looks but had no idea what a waxed cotton fabric jacket is. Did a bit of research on waxed cotton jacket, leading brands such as Belstaff and Barbour and the pros and cons. Basically these waxed cotton jackets originate way back in the 18th century and were popular among sailors, hunters and soldiers owing to their water repellant capability, durability and longevity while offering some amount breathability. Motorcycling waxed jackets caught up in the 1930’s and gained popularity among motorcyclists especially the modern classics and retro motorcycle riders. With such long history the only thing modern in today’s waxed cotton riding jacket is the armor pockets. That said, modern textile jackets are superior to waxed cotton jackets in every possible way.

Visited few popular RE showrooms in Chennai to try out the Panzer jacket but none had it in stock. Spotted the Panzer jacket worn by riders during the 2021 RE Classis 350 media ride, guess the jacket was part of the media kit just for the test ride. Later connected with a RE influencer in Instagram who was using the Panzer jacket regularly, was able to get his feedback and size for reference. I got the jacket from Amazon since it was cheaper with 22% discount compared to the RE apparels website.

Pros:

• Looks! Vintage/timeless subtle looks
• Excellent material and nicely tailored
• Doesn’t standout. Looks like any other denim fashion overcoat
• 6 external utility pockets & 1 internal pocket
• 6 zipper air vents
• In built pockets for armors

Cons:

• Feels heavier than a textile jacket
• Needs regular waxing to retain water repellant capability and looks. I’m yet to dig deep into this.
• Rain water ingress can make it heavier and can take a long time to dry completely
• Waxed fabric means limited to no airflow. Zipper air vents helps but not much in slow moving city rides.
• Not easy to maintain. Shouldn’t be machine washed or use harsh detergents.
• Textile jackets offer superior protection

Initial impressions:
The outer material is densely woven cotton which feels rugged and heavy duty. The touring jacket like external design features 7 utility pockets and the forearms get zippers for adjustment. The jacket feels heavier than the usual textile mesh jackets when held side by side. I got the S size jacket and the overall fit is just perfect. My previous Aspida jacket was S size too. The waxed finish looks great complemented by shoulder flaps and patches on elbow and shoulder.

First ride impressions:
Past Sunday’s breakfast ride was the maiden outing for the Panzer jacket. Rode to Alamaparai fort located 90 kms away from home. The perfect fit from the jacket makes for a comfortable reach to the handlebars and seating posture. Adjustable buttons at hip and cuffs ensure a snug fit and nothing is flapping or buffeting at high speeds. Overall the comfort levels are high. Past 8.00 am the sun started to sore and the inside began to get warm. Stopped and opened the two zipper air vent flaps on the chest and what a relief! On the move these two chest air vents allows the wind to rush in and form an airy layer around the inside of the jacket keeping the rider nicely ventilated. With a little getting used to these air vent flaps can be opened and shut while on the move thanks to the large zipper handle and large snap button. Did not open the 4 other air vents located at the side and at the rear since I felt well ventilated with just these two front air vents. Overall I’m more than happy with the first impressions! With some solid cons listed above, it’s going to an interesting ownership experience.

Love the vintage looks and utilitarian design


Notice the hidden zipper air vents on either side and the reflective tape


Closer look at the top half with one zipper air vent open


Closer look at the lower half


The inside has a mesh cotton layer. The tag says Made in India


About the jacket


The rear air vents


Side air vent and hidden zipper pocket behind the main lower pocket


Price tag and spare buttons


CE L2 shoulder & elbow armor from Cramster

[Torino]

Last weekend breakfast ride was about offroad riding and exploring new routes. It was a great session riding along with bhpian @MadRasTan4986 on the Interceptor and the G310R rider. We discussed about offroad riding, offroad motorcycles and exchanged our feedback on our new Panzer riding jackets.

It was great to meet @MadRasTan4986 in his new Panzer jacket!


I just can't get enough of my Panzer jacket!

[ramji_or]

Hi Torino! Loved your I650! Need an info from you. Do you know any good place in chennai to get smaller mods done on I650 (Foot pegs and Handle bar mod to start with).

[Torino]

Originally Posted by ramji_or

Hi Torino! Loved your I650! Need an info from you. Do you know any good place in chennai to get smaller mods done on I650 (Foot pegs and Handle bar mod to start with).

Kick Start Garage in OMR. Great place to get your mods & accessories fixed and service your RE. Run by a couple of experienced ex-RE OMR service advisors and mechanics.

[MadRasTan4986]

Originally Posted by Torino

It was great to meet @MadRasTan4986 in his new Panzer jacket!
Attachment 2287529

I just can't get enough of my Panzer jacket!
Attachment 2287528

It was great to meet you too bro and go for a ride. This was our 2nd one btw. The fort was one was fun too. Thanks for showing that place and this quarry.



As you can see both of us are might pleased with our Panzer Ranger jackets.

[ramji_or]

Originally Posted by Torino

Kick Start Garage in OMR. Great place to get your mods & accessories fixed and service your RE. Run by a couple of experienced ex-RE OMR service advisors and mechanics.

Thanks Torino! I will check them out this weekend!

[Torino]

Front fork seal replacement:
Both of my front fork seals gave up so visited Kick Start Garage to get them replaced. Also took the opportunity to address the soft & noisy front suspension by swapping to heavier oil, hence changed to 15W LiquiMoly from the stock 2.5W HP. Rode nearly 300 kms post switching to 15W oil and the front suspension feels a bit a too hard for my liking. Could feel even the slightest change on the road surface. On the bright side the front end feels so much planted now while taking U turns, could lean the bike with more confidence on fast curves. Overall I feel the suspension is too stiff for the roads I ride and is robbing a lot of comfort from the handlebar, will see if I could dig more pros and cons during the next 10,000 kms or until the fork seal breaks again.

Did a 220 km round trip to Saddhi falls in Andhra Pradesh on 27/3 with bunch of other Interceptors, a Street Twin and a Tiger 900. The faster roads were great and last few kilometers through the village were broken roads and dirt track. As we were reaching the end of the dirt track I noticed my front end starting to slide a bit. Initially thought it was due to the loose ground but unfortunately it was a front flat tire and we’re like in the middle of nowhere. The nearest puncture shop was at least 5 kms away. Decided to leave the bike and hop on in one of the other bikes. Surprisingly the path ahead is a dried up river bed which wasn’t motorcycle friendly at least for the Interceptors and the Street twin, but the gang decided to ride cause YOLO. Since I was the only one without a ride, I got to be the spotter for the next 200 meters helping others to navigate through the dried river bed filled with loose rocks. It was a challenging path and the scorching heat only made it worse. Once we returned back to my parked bike I was surprised to see the tyre still half full, looked like the puncture was tiny enough to let out the air slowly. Wasted no time and rode the bike to the nearest puncture shop.

Bill from Kick Start garage.


Busted fork seals.


27/3 ride to AP. Unfortunate that I couldn't ride this section due to flat tire.


2/4 ride along with the Street Twin.

[SamuraiJack]

Not sure if I missed this, what size tubes are you using? I'm on the verge of going for this mod