[rajeevsulu]

@ tharian , looking forward to seeing your feedback on these tyres. If they are better than the stock Ceat ones by a decent enough margin, I would go for them.

Cheers

[tharian]

I have been wanting to go on a long highway ride for a while now and with the new tyres, I was confident to do long distances. I wanted to do a expressway only ride and decided to head to Davengere for some dosa. It had been a while since I rode or drove on this highway.
A friend joined with his CB350 and we hit the roads around 6 am. The weather was perfect with clouds and cool weather on the way there, but got hot on the way back. Some parts of Karnataka is going through high humidity which is abnormal.
Traffic was high although the weekend had already started couple of days ago. Truck traffic was quite a bit too. I was doing the usual speeds of around 90-95 and just touching 4000 rpm for most of the ride. I am not sure if it was the engine oil which is close to 6000 kms old, the engine felt rough for most part. I'll probably replace it with a better oil for the next service. I also changed the fuel mixture setting which didn't make much of a difference in the constant speeds I was doing.

This was also a ride to run in the new tubeless tyres. The first 100 kms was noisy and the front felt a bit stiff as well. The road surface would have added to the noise and weird feeling in the front too. The rest of the trip felt fine. The tyres are good enough and I feel they are better than CEAT in terms of comfort and grip. Once they start wearing, things may change.

The bike was running fine apart from that. The onward ride took just 4 hours including couple of short breaks covering 270 kms. The A2B hotel just after Sira was packed since that was the only restaurant in that stretch. We decided to continue and stopped at Chitradurga bypass for some pictures and onto to Davengere which was an hour more. I did think of heading to Hospet which was around 130 kms from Chitradurga. We decided not to which was a good decision as most of the traffic heading North was taking this route and the road to Davengere was more or less empty. We also needed to return the same day. In hindsight, it would have added 75 kms to the total, but the time taken would have been much more.
We reached Davengere in less than an hour and looked for some hotels to try the famous benne dosa, but sadly the one we stopped at didn't have that and instead we had set dosa which was probably the best I've had till date.
Janatha hotel opposite the bus stand on old Blore-Pune highway.

After an hour, we headed back after topping up fuel which resulted in 31 kmpl for the one way ride. The return should be better since the speeds were stuck at 90 for the full length. It took longer too because of higher traffic especially nearing tumkur and we decided to cut off to the STRR and head home via Bagalur. The distance was exactly the double compared to returning via Nelamangala and Yeshwantpur, but the time taken was only slightly more and no traffic or signals.

The ride was 585 kms long and the odo stands at 14800 kms.

[tharian]

Bike has run 15k kms and had gone for the oil change at the ASC last weekend.
The 6 month check up in between the annual service interval is annoying to say the least and basically a money making set up for these service centers. The bike has been going for these services every six months and I end up spending un-necessarily on these thinking the warranty will be void when I have to use it.

This service was required since I had to get the oil changed which had run 6k kms in the last year and was showing its effects. Along with that, balancing weights were added on the wheels which was missing after the alloy upgrade. Some other minor work just to meet their targets were added like swing arm greasing and what not. The chain slack was the only complaint I had which was done.

Bike is smooth as ever now and butter smooth gear shifts to add. Polish and buffing was asked to be done too as that was worth it the last time too. Since I wash the bike once in few months, it works out well for me.

[tharian]

A ride to Payana Auto museum outside Mysore.

Left quite early in the morning and had a relaxed ride on the Bangalore - Mysore expressway service road. It wasn't bad as I thought except for the speedbreakers. It was more like a private lane for two wheelers and having left early, most of them were bikers heading out. At least I didn't have to worry about speeding cars from behind.

The bike ran beautifully especially since the oil was fresh. After the museum, I rode up Chamundi hills just to get a feel of the new MRF tyres on curves. These tyres are way better than the CEATs. I haven't dipped the bike as much as I did on curves and felt confident. Maybe it is the alloys as well, the bike felt much easier to handle on the curves and accelerate hard out of them. It also felt stable on those patched up roads without the need to slow down and had no hint of that slipping feeling I had at times with the CEAT. Hard braking grip was good too. I could feel the rear grip when braking hard for a speed breaker. All in all, a good buy.

Fuel efficiency was 31 kmpl with speeds of around 85-90 most of the times. Odo stands at 15,400 kms.

The good thing about not allowed on the main carriageway is that most of these restaurants are empty now and easily accessible for riders.



Bikers only level crossing.

And many photo op locations to stop.



Chamundi hills.


Payana Museum

[tharian]

My first off road trail climb and on a bike with no suitable mods for the same.
It was an impromptu Saturday morning ride and I decided to visit Kailasagiri hill near Chintamini on the Hoskote to Madanapalle state highway.
The plan when I heard of this place was to go on my 2002 Bullet Electra for the only reason that the new tyres on my Interceptor may get damaged and they were 100% road tyres. Once I started the off road trail which is around 4 kms of climb and the same way down, I was glad I didn't attempt it on my Bullet. The trail was more or less full of rocks and stones, but the bigger ones were embedded which made things easy. Some sections were steep and at the same time strewn with stones. 4 wheelers use this too, so it wasn't narrow.
The fun part was using the twins low end torque to climb up easily. The revs were just above idle with some blips on the throttle to go over some steep bits. The engine was just crawling in first gear in other words, close to idle speed. The FuelX setting was at 9 which helped too. Except for the bumpiness which was obvious, the bike was not difficult to handle and I didn't loose balance or control.
On the way down, I wanted to change the FuelX setting to stock which 3,to get some of the engine brake back, but ended up in setting 5 which I realized later. The descend was uneventful with some rear wheel lock ups since I had to pull in the clutch at some spots to avoid stalling. Hit the highway back and kept a good speed and there was no issues with the tyres.
Overall a good experience and I am sure I'll do it again.

[gharika]

Originally Posted by tharian

My first off road trail climb and on a bike with no suitable mods for the same.
It was an impromptu Saturday morning ride and I decided to visit Kailasagiri hill near Chintamini on the Hoskote to Madanapalle state highway.

The Inty is amazing on trials and bad roads and we had good fun on our Spiti ride, only mod was Reise TourR tyres on alloys. I am waiting for Himy 750 with the twin.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by gharika

The Inty is amazing on trials and bad roads and we had good fun on our Spiti ride, only mod was Reise TourR tyres on alloys. I am waiting for Himy 750 with the twin.

I'll probably go for the Reise tyres for the next tyre change. I did check those and didn't go for it since the speed rating was lower than the stock tyres.
I did experience the tyre since I have them on an old Bullet 500 I have and they do make a difference on rough roads.

[roadeo.650]

Originally Posted by tharian

It is been a while since I updated this thread. Except for using the bike for a short ride every weekend, I haven't been using it much.

The recent mod/replacement was a Way2Speed performance air filter. I initially had decided to just use the open bracket along with the stock air filter, then decided to try this filter out since it was not oil-based and that was something I didn't want, with the experience of using an oil-based conical filter in my previous car.
I wasn't expecting any increase in power, but I was looking at reducing the snatchy throttle at low rpm which seems to have worked. I rode around 30-35 kms with the open bracket installed and didn't quite like it both in terms of noise and response. I did let it idle for around 10-15 minutes after installation for the ECU to adapt, but the intake roar is what put me off so decided to use the stock air filter cover with the W2S air filter which seems to be working fine for now. There is no intake roar and the engine revs nicely post 3k rpm.
The other convenient part is not having to replace the filter now and then.

The last full tank fuel efficiency was 30 kmpl and the bike has run 4800 kms.

The Way2Speed air filter and bracket.

I stumbled upon this today, and I also have a 2024 GT650. I am deciding between Ngage hyperflow air filter and Way2Speed dry air filter. My major concern came up when I saw a couple of youtube videos about Way2speed and headed to the comment section just to see some frustrated people saying “Throttle body will be dead after 3-4k kms” or “The filter compartment is filled with dust after using it for 1000kms” which should not be the case as the filter covers the edges of the compartment and dust ingress is not really possible. All the dust particles must settle inside the air filter only, not outside of it in the compartment, so this one has confused me really. I heard no such negative comments about Ngage yet though. It’s like BMC but cheap and I am almost buying it at this point.
But I really wanted your honest opinion regarding the w2s air filter and my concerns. How has been your experience with it and any other opinions?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by roadeo.650

I stumbled upon this today, and I also have a 2024 GT650. I am deciding between Ngage hyperflow air filter and Way2Speed dry air filter. My major concern came up when I saw a couple of Youtube videos about Way2speed and headed to the comment section just to see some frustrated people saying “Throttle body will be dead after 3-4k kms” or “The filter compartment is filled with dust after using it for 1000kms” which should not be the case as the filter covers the edges of the compartment and dust ingress is not really possible. All the dust particles must settle inside the air filter only, not outside of it in the compartment, so this one has confused me really. I heard no such negative comments about Ngage yet though. It’s like BMC but cheap and I am almost buying it at this point.
But I really wanted your honest opinion regarding the w2s air filter and my concerns. How has been your experience with it and any other opinions?

I have been using the W2S filter since 12k kms now. I haven't had any issues with the throttle body or dust accumulation. I use the stock air filter cover and not the open type. The filter is checked once in few months and I use a air blower to clean it. The only weird part I have noticed is that not much dust on the filter when cleaning it. It is either because of the less dusty conditions I ride in and the stock air filter cover or the filter is not doing a 100% filtering.

Having said that, I would suggest an oil based filter for better filteration.

[roadeo.650]

Thanks for your prompt response! I will use the open type cover (basically chop off the stock air filter cover), but I guess technically it still should not lead to the issues that I mentioned above and also, the aftermarket companies suggest to clean and maintain the air filters after riding 10-15k kms, and as you said that you inspect it in a few months without riding it in harsh conditions and less polluted areas, so technically it won’t gather a lot of dust and you are also maintaining it well as you are checking up more frequently. Kudos to that.
I am pretty much convinced to go for an oil based filter only now as it is prominent in the industry and there’s no downside of it. Maybe there’s no downside with dry filter too, but it all cuts down to the gut feeling now. People face various issues due to the ignorance in the maintenance schedule of their vehicles, no doubt.
Also, maintaining and looking after your beloved ride is more of a fun experience rather than a tedious job. Cheers

[roadeo.650]

One more thing, dry air filters claim to have more filtration efficiency than oil based filters, how come?
W2s claims 99.99% *sigh of disbelief* and DNA claims 98-99% and BMC K&N Ngage must be around 97- 98% as well.
It’s just numbers and the end result would be more or less the same but if oil based filters are more efficient, then why do dry filters claim more efficiency than oil based ones, I don’t get it, as oil stops the dirt practically but I have no idea about dry ones. If you got some knowledge on this, do let me know, otherwise I am better off wondering hehe.
Also, one last thing, you use air blower to clean it, right. But what if I use my hair dryer on cold setting? I guess it would work the same, or not? Home remedies supremacy?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by roadeo.650

One more thing, dry air filters claim to have more filtration efficiency than oil based filters, how come?
W2s claims 99.99% *sigh of disbelief* and DNA claims 98-99% and BMC K&N Ngage must be around 97- 98% as well.
It’s just numbers and the end result would be more or less the same but if oil based filters are more efficient, then why do dry filters claim more efficiency than oil based ones, I don’t get it, as oil stops the dirt practically but I have no idea about dry ones. If you got some knowledge on this, do let me know, otherwise I am better off wondering hehe.
Also, one last thing, you use air blower to clean it, right. But what if I use my hair dryer on cold setting? I guess it would work the same, or not? Home remedies supremacy?

I am not aware of the technicalities on why the filteration levels are higher in the dry type.

A hair dryer will not have enough pressure to remove the dust. I have a high powered blower which is used to blow leaves which I use. The high pressure which you find at service stations may damage the filter.

Also, one point to keep in mind is that with a performance filter, especially with an open bracket, the engine life may be affected on the long run. The engine will run lean and also filteration will not be as good as a stock element.

[tharian]

The bike has run 17100 kms now and is used mainly within the city. With the heat setting in, I don't think I will be doing any highways rides for few months, except early morning ones. The last ride was just for the sake of it as it had been a while since I took the bike out on the highway. I did the STRR from Hoskote to Tumkur and back home which was around 150 kms.

I made some useful additions as well over the last few months. The stock mirrors were replaced with an ATV type from Shejisi, which has the adjustment on the stalk and is a rectangle type. Much more useful than the stock ones which I didn't like one bit. These have a much wider view of the rear and is also slightly tinted with a small shade on top.

I got the Sensairy external TPMS. I have been using Sensairy internal TPMS on my car for many years now and they are reliable and decided to go for the same brand for the bike. Although I had a tyre pressure gauge in my tool bag, it was not always accurate and with couple of experiences where I unknowingly rode long distances with half deflated tyres due to faulty valve pins, this was a good investment as it throws an alarm on my phone when the pressure is low.

I also moved back to the stock air filter after using the W2S performance filter for around 12k kms. I felt it is not doing a good job in filtering and didn't want to have engine issues down the line. With the stock filter, I changed the FuelX setting to be less rich since the exhaust has a closed baffle which creates some back pressure which doesn't necessitate a richer mixture. Earlier when I opened up the throttle, the bike had a nice grunt and effortless acceleration. Now it feels a bit less, but the torque seems to be still the same in city riding.

The bike is running fine otherwise with the city fuel efficiency consistent around 20-21 kmpl. The service was due for the 6th month interval in February, which I skipped. I had already got a full service done with oil change 6 months ago and felt this 6 months interval is only a money making trick by RE and other manufacturers. Only hope I don't get any warranty related work in the near future as they look at the previous services done to approve it.

The MRF tubeless tyres are doing a good job. They are much better than the CEAT's the bike came with. I realized it only after moving to these tyres. They have good braking as well as acceleration grip. Maybe not that good when compared to some expensive tyres. I need to use a bad patch of road every day and I was waiting for a puncture which has never happened till now. Wet weather behavior is still be to be experienced. The rear shocks were adjusted by two steps for preload since I take a pillion and that has helped cushion some of the bad roads. When riding solo, I tend to slide forward a bit because of this, but at least the shocks from the road is less now.

Some pictures from the last few months.







A nice Sunday ride on the new partly done Bangalore-Chennai Expressway back in Novmber.





Forgot to include the TPMS pictures. The external sensor looks odd, but does the job.

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by tharian

I also moved back to the stock air filter after using the W2S performance filter for around 12k kms. I felt it is not doing a good job in filtering and didn't want to have engine issues down the line.

Hi,

Just wanted to know if you're facing specific issues with the W2S filter. Even I have that filter on my 650.

Cheers,

Jay

[tharian]

Originally Posted by JayPrashanth

Hi,

Just wanted to know if you're facing specific issues with the W2S filter. Even I have that filter on my 650.

Cheers,

Jay

One thing I noticed with this filter was that everytime I removed it for cleaning, there was hardly any dust being blown from it when I used a blower to clean. Even when I looked closely at it, I couldn't see any dirt on it unlike other filters which look dirty over time. One thing to note is that I never used the open bracket with it, but still over time, it should get dirty and I do use the bike on some dusty stretches every day.
It was only once when I tapped it on a hard surface that I saw some dust coming off it.

The performance of this filter is quite obvious, even with the stock filter cover fitted, but I didn't want to risk damaging the engine over time. I'll probably go for an oil based filter some time later.