[TorqueyTechie]

My bike has arrived at the dealership and I went to do PDI. All looks good. SA said it will take 4 business days for delivery. Awaiting the d day eagerly.

[Linuskm]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

My bike has arrived at the dealership and I went to do PDI. All looks good. SA said it will take 4 business days for delivery. Awaiting the d day eagerly.

Looks like 3.5 months for delivery

[TorqueyTechie]

I was informed around 4 pm on Saturday that my bike is ready for delivery and to reach by 5:30 to collect it. I was outside but rushed back home and started along with my wife to collect it. But as luck would have it, there was continuous downpour which started suddenly and we reached the showroom partially drenched.

Delivery experience :
Since it was raining, the delivery was a sombre experience with the bike readied in the basement and delivered without any fanfare. Infact the bike was handed over to us by a delivery mechanic. We were given a fuel coupon for 4 litres from nearby bunk and other documents (+ medical kit & 2 sets of keychain)

We were asked to come the next day at 12 to get the accessories installed by the same mechanic. So off I went gingerly as it was still drizzling, fueled up and then went home. As it was still raining, we planned to visit temple next day. Wife did a small pooja at home herself.

Next day morning went to the famous bull temple to get blessings for the vehicle. Post that went for the showoom to get the accessories fitted. We were there at 12:05 and were told it will be ready by 3. We loitered around the area, shopping & finishing lunch and were back by 3:30 only to see our bike just starting to get attended to. It took almost 2.5 hours post us going back to get the bike ready (back rest took a long time). By that time it started raining again. So by the time we were out of the showoom it was 6:30. Whole day almost wasted there. Anyways thanked the SA and handed over a sweet box which we had got.

Ride experience:
This is my first big bike and am still getting to know the bike. So have been pottering around town (have put in around 50 kms as of today) slowly. Bike is heavy when stationary but is easily flickable when riding and is easy to manage even in high traffic which we encountered on Saturday. One can feel the heat from the engine in slow traffic though. So definitely not to be ridden with shorts I feel.

Has good low torque and is easy to ride at slow speeds too. I have been getting false neutrals sometimes but it is mostly to do with me still getting to grips with the bike and the gear patterns (my old bike P150 had all gears down as the pattern). Will update post riding some more. Have planned a long ride next weekend and get some kms on the bike.

Accessories installed :
1. Butterfly leg guard - Really necessary for the pillion rider.
2. Sump guard
3. Back rest
4. Front foot pegs

Freebies: Absolutely none.

Showroom : Kwality mobikes, Banashankari

Overall experience (showroom and delivery):
Things I liked:
1. Booking and loan experience was good. They were constantly communicating once the bike was at the showroom.
2. PDI was allowed and they were infact eager to help as well.

Things that could be better:
1. Since it was raining heavily on Sat, I called up midway and asked if I can collect it on Sunday. I was told no deliveries on Sunday and so can happen on Monday. But since I was having important meetings on Monday morning I managed to collect on Sat itself. But imagine my surprise when I got to know that they are planning deliveries on Sunday. Soured my experience.
2. Accessories installation was supposed to be completed by 3pm. But they prioritized other vehicles and finished it up and then started on mine. And it took quite a long time for that to be completed compounded by the heavy rain on Sunday evening as well.
3. There was no photo op or bike delivery presentation done by the SA. Infact after I went and mentioned about all other bikes (Standard, Hunters) getting delivered with a photo and a key handover, they told they will do it for me and hurriedly did it. I was not happy but atleast posed for posterity sake.
4. This may sound silly but they do not have a coffee machine atleast. Both the days we were drenched (esp on Sat) and there was nothing available. And there are no nearby coffee shops.

Anyways all these are secondary. Was very happy riding the bike around. Still getting used to the cruiser stance and the heaviness of the bike. Will share more updates post a long ride.

Apologies for the long post. Sharing some pics. Haven't done a proper photo shoot. Will plan and share some good pics.

[Pkumarblore]

Hi @TorqueyTechie,
Congratulations on your new possession. I must say the SM650 is one of the most handsome looking motorcycles around., I mean if you like those Roadster/Cruiser type motorcycles. I test rode it from the same showroom a few weeks back, and I was amazed by its handling characteristics despite its size and weight. The build and quality of parts are many notches above what RE was known for till the previous generation UC350/500 existed. That's a phenomenal shift for RE. Kudos to them.

I own a 2014 RE CL500(done only 6000kms till now), and I found very little difference in handling of the SM650 in comparison to CL500, except for the forward stretched legs. While riding slowly(<5-10kmph) during the TD, I noticed that I had taken off both my feet from the foot pegs, probably that was the time I felt the weight of the machine.

I have my booking with HSR Lalbagh(no more HSR now), but I am still not sure about buying it. I don't know if I'll ever ride again to do justice to a brand new motorcycle.

Please keep posting about ownership and riding experience. Maybe I'll get motivated to ultimately buy the SM 650.

Happy and safe riding!

[TorqueyTechie]

As mentioned in my previous post, I had few accessories installed and sharing few pics of them on the bike.











Apologies for the not so good pics. Its down to me being a poor photographer and the bike being dirty due to rains.

[techfreak]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

As mentioned in my previous post, I had few accessories installed and sharing few pics of them on the bike.

Attachment 2454400

Apologies for the not so good pics. Its down to me being a poor photographer and the bike being dirty due to rains.

Where did you get the back rest, which dealer?
I am also looking fwd to install the OE backrest but it justn't available with any dealer. 🤦*♂️

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by techfreak

Where did you get the back rest, which dealer?
I am also looking fwd to install the OE backrest but it justn't available with any dealer. 🤦*♂️

I got the backrest installed on the day of delivery itself. I was lucky as there were few backrests which they had received on the same day and could get it. I did check with them if they have any spare today and they don't have any. They are not sure when they will get the next shipment. This is at Kwality mobikes

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

I was informed around 4 pm on Saturday that my bike is ready for delivery and to reach by 5:30 to collect it.

Congrats on the bike!

My friend also has recently bought the bike in the exact same colour. Incidentally, his bike is the first Super Meteor 650 in Finland.

[hawrie]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

Accessories installed :
1. Butterfly leg guard - Really necessary for the pillion rider.
2. Sump guard
3. Back rest
4. Front foot pegs

Hi TorqueyTechie, Congratulations on your new bike! Happy motoring. I see in the picture with the dealers, you have the Crash Guard installed but in latter photos, it is missing. Did you get the Crash Guard fixed at the dealer or elsewhere?

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by hawrie

Hi TorqueyTechie, Congratulations on your new bike! Happy motoring. I see in the picture with the dealers, you have the Crash Guard installed but in latter photos, it is missing. Did you get the Crash Guard fixed at the dealer or elsewhere?

Thank you. With regard to the pictures, they are not in the right order. I got the bike delivered on Sat evening in pouring rain and hence no accessories were fitted nor the ceremonial handover was done. I was asked to come on Sunday for the same and post the accessory fitment (at the dealership itself), they did the handover ceremony.

[TorqueyTechie]

So I went on a long ride (~400 kms) this past Sunday and had few observations.

1. Bike feels at home on highways and can easily cruise in speeds between 80-100 all day long with adequate power left for those quick overtakes.
2. While the stock mirrors are adequate, I still prefer the wide rectangle shaped ones as I feel it gives me wider view. Also there is a play in the left mirror post 70-80 kmph. Need to get it checked in the first service.
3. Need to definitely have a windshield added else the ride becomes tiring due to wind.
4. Almost at the end of ride I was stuck in a jam and had to crawl for few kms. While managing the bike at slow speeds is not difficult, there was lot of heat being dissipated which made it bit difficult for both me and my wife (pillion).
5. Gear shifts are little notchy and not very smooth. Hopefully should change post first service.
6. While I was not tired at the end of the ride, my wife was a not so happy pillion. Definitely need to upgrade the seat.
7. Around 90% of the roads that we went were good, bike handled the rest 10% of the roads pretty well. Not too harsh ride.
8. Bike underbelly was hit on couple of tall speed breakers even at slow speeds. I need to adjust my riding style to ensure that this does not happen.

I had topped up the tank before the start of the ride and had to refuel around 25kms before home. Fuel efficiency was around 26.5 kmpl which I feel is not bad. In the city I have for around 22.5 but its still early days. Overall we both enjoyed the ride so much that my wife is already planning for the next one.

[Waspune]

Hello SM riders/would be riders/fans. I had booked the celestial blue variant on April 30th and while the RE app showed 6 months of waiting, the dealership quoted 3 months. Yesterday I went to the Viman Nagar dealership to ask if any celestial variants have been delivered and was told that the dealership is yet to get the celestial variants for delivery and they have no clue when they will be available for delivery. The Astral and Insterstellar variants have been received and delivered but not a single Celestial variant has been delivered till now.

Is it the same scenario in other states? Had RE offered the touring seat as an accessory I would have gone with Astral/Interstellar variant as for me a good pillion seat is a deterrent.

[Prayaglele]

Originally Posted by Waspune

Is it the same scenario in other states? Had RE offered the touring seat as an accessory I would have gone with Astral/Interstellar variant as for me a good pillion seat is a deterrent.

Hey, so a couple of weekends back there was a SM650 ride organised by RE. I can confirm that there weren't too many celestial ones and the ones that were there were mostly the media bikes. That said I do believe there were a couple celestial ones, which weren't media bikes. What I would recommend is an Interstellar/Astral Variant and then get the touring seat added on later, if waiting isn't an option. There were many who have also just added the backrest as that is the primary concern I believe.

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by Prayaglele

Hey, so a couple of weekends back there was a SM650 ride organised by RE. I can confirm that there weren't too many celestial ones and the ones that were there were mostly the media bikes. That said I do believe there were a couple celestial ones, which weren't media bikes. What I would recommend is an Interstellar/Astral Variant and then get the touring seat added on later, if waiting isn't an option. There were many who have also just added the backrest as that is the primary concern I believe.

Well actually the pillion seat (in Astral and Interstellar variants ) in itself is a joke, to be honest, so even after installing a back rest it won’t do much good to the pillion. And we don’t know when would RE start offering the touring seat as an accessory! So I think I will have to wait for either to happen:
1) RE starts delivering the celestial variants.
2) RE starts offering the touring seat as an accessory.

[Prayaglele]

Oh of course, the pillion seat is definitely not usable post maybe 1-2 km but the touring seat is going to be offered, the problem I believe is stock. In any case, hope you get it soon!