[corvus corax]

The Classic 350 is not the best bike to live with especially because I've been facing a few issues with the chain at just 8k kms.

Can you please specify what those issues are. Curious to know. In my 5 years of owning one never had any issue with the chain.

Much superior product and peace of mind is guaranteed.

I beg to disagree. In just one year many issues cropped up in my Interceptor; broken throttle cable, broken tank cap seal, busted front fork seals, busted oil pressure sensor and busted speed sensor. The only niggle I had with my C350 was a blown pilot lamp bulb.

[shady]

This thread has been quiet for a while. So has the steed been delivered yet?

[gypsyFreak]

I guess it's not 4 months yet from the date of booking and so steed might not yet be delivered.

Looking at booking screenshot, looks he has gone for most ergonomic steed of the three.

The Himalayan's ergonomics and pillion comfort even impressed me and my better half. My booking was done about a month ago, dealer says he will deliver in 2-3 months. COVID lockdowns not helping.

Here's my screenshot.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by shady

This thread has been quiet for a while. So has the steed been delivered yet?

Yes, got her within a few days of making full payment. The delivery was a PITA but fellow enthusiasts namely Neil and Aslam were kind enough to assist with their influential contacts and speedup the process which otherwise would've taken quite some time going by reviews.

Also I'd have to say, RE's customer support is just next level stuff provided we directly reach out to them.

Enough about that, here she is;



Had taken her apart as soon as I'd got her home, made a few functional changes and still am in the process of altering her here and there, guess the lockdown and resulting inability to clock any serious miles have got to me, such that after a decade of riding and clicking a few lakhs in between I got myself a bottle of Chain Spray.



So far it's been 2 months since I've got her and have clocked only about 2k KM's.

Marriage, honeymoon, job change and the lockdown has played a part in holding me back from truly enjoying the Motorcycle but from my little experience with the RE I'd suggest people only get a motorcycle from their stable if their truly want one cause functionally they still have a long way to go, here's an exhaust swipe from the Bullet, both my P220 and CT100B are high mileage vehicles but both of them combines haven't left 1/10th the residue that the Bullet has;



Luckily, knowing better I had started a RD for a small amount a day before taking delivery of the Motorcycle, once the account has substantial funds I'd take apart the Bullet and set it up to run on a Carburetor, which as I've seen incorrectly discussed here is not just about plonking in a Carburetor but requires changing the complete wiring harness, electrics, coils and Magnet Rotor of the Motorcycle, the last one is important as the magnet of an EFI and Carb Motorcycle are different when it comes to number of pickup points.

Sorry for the long post, I doubt there'd be an ownership post for the Bullet due to time constraints hence including all that comes to mind and I guess that's all of it.

Cheers!
A.P.

[navin_v8]

Congratulations mate on buying the new RE Bullet. Keralites/Malayalees and their fetish for heavy crank is legendary. I say this while looking at my beloved G2 and B1 Cast Iron Bullets.

It's still difficult for me to digest as to why did RE axe the 500cc. They should have at least offered it as an option in the Bullet lineup. Maybe it was the emission norms and/or costing which resulted in slow sales of 500cc models.

I like the all black paint scheme on the new Bullet 350 model. Planning to use the same paint scheme (except crankcase and cylinder head) while restoring my LX series "Light Crank" 1996 Bullet.

Congrats again.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Marriage, honeymoon, job change and the lockdown has played a part in holding me back from truly enjoying the Motorcycle but from my little experience with the RE I'd suggest people only get a motorcycle from their stable if their truly want one cause functionally they still have a long way to go, here's an exhaust swipe from the Bullet, both my P220 and CT100B are high mileage vehicles but both of them combines haven't left 1/10th the residue that the Bullet has

Congrats on your new Bullet Ashwin.

Looks nice with the minimal paint highlights and the fork outer dust tubes and the knee pads.

Use her well and long!

Cheers, Doc

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Congratulations mate on buying the new RE Bullet. Keralites/Malayalees and their fetish for heavy crank is legendary. I say this while looking at my beloved G2 and B1 Cast Iron Bullets.

Thank you!!!

The heavy crank fetish is something I used to ridicule at a younger age but now I totally get it.

And doing 40kmph in 5th gear on a Pushrod is one of the finer things in life I cherish, the FE ain't bad either.

It's still difficult for me to digest as to why did RE axe the 500cc. They should have at least offered it as an option in the Bullet lineup. Maybe it was the emission norms and/or costing which resulted in slow sales of 500cc models.

If I'm not wrong Pushrods are said to be more expensive to manufacture considering not only component cost but also scales of production. The second part I can understand since they're streamlining but the first part doesn't make much sense IMHO maybe it might be the added cost of the hydraulic Tappets, not sure.

I like the all black paint scheme on the new Bullet 350 model. Planning to use the same paint scheme (except crankcase and cylinder head) while restoring my LX series "Light Crank" 1996 Bullet.

Something learnt when upsizing rims on the CT100 is that a painted RIM is around 30~50% cheaper than a Chrome plated rim.

If you're considering painting your rims then do consider comparing the cost of painting with that of buying a new painted rim, mine being the X Model comes with painted rims from factory meaning getting OE wouldn't be an issue for you.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Congrats on your new Bullet Ashwin.

Thank you!!!

Looks nice with the minimal paint highlights and the fork outer dust tubes and the knee pads.

This is actually the Budget model of the Pushrod lineup, the fuel tank, painted rims etc are indicators of the same, but as luck would have it gels with me perfectly as I'm no fan of paying for aesthetics, going for the Kick Only variant also did me good since it is the only 350 variant that comes with the heavy crank.

The Tank Pad etc were bought separately, even the main-stand handle was crap and would flex, so I replaced it with a sturdier piece and added one on the other side as well just to pacify my OCD.

Use her well and long!

Thank you once again.

Regards,
A.P.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

If you're considering painting your rims then do consider comparing the cost of painting with that of buying a new painted rim, mine being the X Model comes with painted rims from factory meaning getting OE wouldn't be an issue for you.

Thanks mate for your suggestion. I am planning to paint my existing rims black (as I am not sure if the new rear rim would support 3.50 size rear tyre, I believe the new Bullet comes with 3.25 size rear tyre) while retaining the chrome plated spokes akin to the new model. It is a nice contrast as the black rims match the body color and chrome plated spokes match the silver crankcase (I don't like mirror finish buffing so would retain the matte factory finish) and cylinder head.

Seeing you buy the Bullet has somewhat rekindled my desire to buy a 500cc Cast Iron and/or my teenage dream the Bullet Machismo 500 AVL. Parking is the only issue in a city like Bombay that's keeping me tied.

[TorqueMonster]

Congratulations on your new bike Ashwin. The bike looks really good in its black colour. Great to see that you have bought a pushrod, it has a distinct character in itself. I'm sure you will have a great time riding the bike, with the excellent low-end torque it offers.

I wish that you have a lot of happy miles on it.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Thanks mate for your suggestion. I am planning to paint my existing rims black (as I am not sure if the new rear rim would support 3.50 size rear tyre, I believe the new Bullet comes with 3.25 size rear tyre) while retaining the chrome plated spokes akin to the new model.

The new ones come with 1.85 Inch Rims at both ends.



Do check yours and confirm size, if it's the same then it would help save some effort. 1.85 Inch rims can accommodate both 3.25 as well as 3.50 Inch tyres, attaching Size chart for your reference.

Originally Posted by TorqueMonster

Congratulations on your new bike Ashwin. The bike looks really good in its black colour. Great to see that you have bought a pushrod, it has a distinct character in itself. I'm sure you will have a great time riding the bike, with the excellent low-end torque it offers.

I wish that you have a lot of happy miles on it.

Thank you!

I'm enjoying the motorcycle albeit a km at a time courtesy the Lockdown but all things considered it's decent. The low end is something I hoped to thoroughly enjoy but something I've noticed is that the performance off idle isn't consistent with EFI's like it's for Carb's which is irritating for me but on the move she's cool thumping around at around 40kmpl in 5th gear without a care in the world.

The guys from RE were kind enough to send me their Ignition Coil Recall document which I used to diagnose and confirm that my IC wasn't from the defective batch so that's a point for RE's after sales support as in some cases ASC's are adamant about customers bringing down their Motorcycles to the ASC for warranty checks and recalls. By being Flexible RE hasn't only made my life easier but also relatively safer by avoiding a visit to their ASC.

I hope the good vibes do continue, and speaking of vibes, here goes!

Good Vibes!

Cheers!
A.P.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

It's still difficult for me to digest as to why did RE axe the 500cc. They should have at least offered it as an option in the Bullet lineup. Maybe it was the emission norms and/or costing which resulted in slow sales of 500cc models.

Yes, 500's didn't meet BS6 emission norms.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

I hope the good vibes do continue, and speaking of vibes, here goes!

Good Vibes!

Cheers!
A.P.

Congrats and good choice out of the RE lineup.

Back when I picked up my bike, I shortlisted the Electra and the STD350. In 2002, the other models to choose from were the 500, TB and Mach350 and very rarely, a 535.

I would have gone for the STD350, but hearing about battery issues and how it would leave you stranded and also the full paint scheme on the Electra's made me go for it.
Later is when I realized that the STD came with a heavy crank and I was kicking myself. I had experienced a 80's model heavy crank on inner Kerala roads much before I bought my bike and loved it for that slow idle and lazy riding.

Wishing you a long partnership with both your partners

That is one silent Bullet, do check the short bottle replacement muffler from the showroom. With all the cat-cons stuffed in, it would make the beat still better and yes, more pictures would be nice.

[ashwinprakas]

A minor update.

After some part hunting was able to source the TBTS handlebar for the Bullet, it is a direct fit and the part number is 560539/C.

The reason for sharing the part number is cause the newer model Thunderbird handlebars do not work well with the Bullet.

The only pic I have is this;



Installation took time as mine being BS6 came with ABS and hence just the usual rerouting wouldn't do, but in the end everything worked out well and she rides like a charm.

Would share more updates when I find the time, her odo stands at 2.5k KM's and she'd be 6 months old soon.

P.S. Inspiration from the mod was from none other than Mr. Lal hismelf!



Regards,
A.P.

[shyamk]

Did I see a Bolero in the garage ?

Honestly, the number of folks I know, who own both the bullet and bolero is way too high, to be dismissed away as a co-incidence.... (Yes, I am in that list too....)

Shyam

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

A minor update.

After some part hunting was able to source the TBTS handlebar for the Bullet, it is a direct fit and the part number is 560539/C.

The reason for sharing the part number is cause the newer model Thunderbird handlebars do not work well with the Bullet.

The only pic I have is this;

Attachment 2193558

Installation took time as mine being BS6 came with ABS and hence just the usual rerouting wouldn't do, but in the end everything worked out well and she rides like a charm.

Would share more updates when I find the time, her odo stands at 2.5k KM's and she'd be 6 months old soon.

P.S. Inspiration from the mod was from none other than Mr. Lal hismelf!

Attachment 2193559

Regards,
A.P.

[adrian]

Was out of the loop for quite a while and this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Of all the people, look who bought an RE. Just like in the movies.... the hero and heroine fight and fight and fight with each other and in the end they fall in love.

Congratulation on your RE. Enjoy the rides and your DIYs.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by shyamk

Did I see a Bolero in the garage ?

Honestly, the number of folks I know, who own both the bullet and bolero is way too high, to be dismissed away as a co-incidence.... (Yes, I am in that list too....)

Shyam

Yes indeed that's a Bolero, picked up a month after getting the Bullet.

I personally consider it as a sign of maturity or rather getting old. Cause now it's all about the torque and puttering around at 40kmph in 5th gear.

Originally Posted by adrian

Was out of the loop for quite a while and this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Of all the people, look who bought an RE. Just like in the movies.... the hero and heroine fight and fight and fight with each other and in the end they fall in love.

Congratulation on your RE. Enjoy the rides and your DIYs.

Glad to see you back! And I mean it cause you're the only one I know who has access to the latest workshop manual.

And yes, finally I did bite the Bullet or rather it bit me! Also this is the Bulletiest of Bullets, it's the Kick Start Only variant that comes with the 10.5kg crank, also the cheapest one being the Bullet X variant with less chrome and badging.

Regards,
A.P.