[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Harikrishnan_13

Actually it is. My TBTS Thunderbird 2009 model suffered a broken chassis. Would have been avoided if a proper protection was there below the engine. I would rather invest in the guard than have to strip the bike down to chassis and fix a break.

Thank you for bringing this up. I had totally forgotten about the TBTS as the original new age (moving away from classic battle tested British design) RE chassis breaker. Before the bike we shall studiously avoid mention of here.

It was around the time I was giving up on Bullets for serious riding and racing, and the workshops were littered with these. Swingarm pivot, rear cradle, foot peg-sidestand junction as I recall?

Cheers, Doc

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by 2wheelsvaga

Any idea about delivery times for the Std 350?

I will put up a post on which saddle bags to get, but since you mention accessories, which ones would you recommend?

30 days waiting time is like standard. It feels like RE starts manufacturing your bike when order is placed.

Only one accessory is must... Silver/Black Airfly engine guard from RE. Bit expensive, but worth it. I've had two falls teaching my girls to learn the bike and I am happy about the choice. Saved the legs and no scratches to the bike body. Minor scratch on silencer only. It is very well thought and designed. Instead of damaging the chassis in a serious fall, the engine guard will bend at the connecting point, just push it back and it is good as new.

I had earlier though of touring mirrors and tipper navigation. The stock mirrors compliment the bike well. The quality is good and can be tightened with spanner both at handle and mirror ends.

From Amazon i picked up a mobile mount, helmet lock and disk lock.
The disk lock is fixed to helmet lock in the picture. It is convenient. I use an open face helmet, so here i can keep the helmet on the mobile mount and lock the strap.

[Harikrishnan_13]

Yes sir. Have put over two lakhs on the odo and rebuilt the engine twice. Still runs, although "like a dream" may be stretching things a bit.

[HillMan]

Impression after about a little above 1200kms. The ride and handling is good. Smooth but not peppy engine. Haven't driven over 80kph yet but it doesn't feel out of place at that speed. Gives you a confident and planted feel while driving. The weight of the bike wears off very quickly and I have learnt to put it on center stand without getting off.

RE teaches you to anticipate while driving and thats true with this Bullet as well. ABS on rear wheel can be felt easily. Its not a sports bike to jump at the throttle.

The RE Bullet 2023 is taller than the previous classic. More comfortable to taller riders.

One more thing that is very noticeable with tank full is the center of gravity quickly moves up. The bike is very well balanced when the tank is half full.

What I love about this Bullet is it is a great city bike. Its a looker and driving around in a higher gear feel real good going low revs.

[2wheelsvaga]

Hi all. I am enjoying going back to the Std Bullet 350 with my new purchase.

I don't know if others had these experiences, but the quality of manufacturing could be much better. There's been rusting on the edges of the rear disc even though this is a 2024 model. The brake was making that well-known squeaking noise (rectified in the first service), the O2 sensor wire is a bit frayed and you can see the inner wire.

Here is also a tidbit of significance (for whom this matters). I was bothered about the noise coming from the head. Even after the tappets were adjusted after the first service, the noise is still there. Through chance conversations I realised this has to do with the acoustics of the sump! I am told the engine becomes quite smooth once the sump is removed. Looks like RE need to give more thought to such issues if they are interested in the the finer points of the motorcycling experience.

Are there any accessories from the Classic 350 that won't work on the Std 350?

In particular, which saddle stays do you recommend? I will likely use them with the Viaterra saddle bags.

I noticed that the saree guard does a good job of keeping things aways from the rear wheel, so maybe I can get by without using the stays. Let me know what you think.

Second, I would like to shift to the Philips 60/55 W halogens which promise better illumination and throw. Have any of you used such bulbs and what's your feedback?

Thanks!

[HillMan]

Over the weekend, I noticed the engine check light illuminate and remain lit on my 2024 Bullet 350. Witnessing this on a new bike naturally raised concerns, yet the remedy turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.

Here's what occurred: the fuel level dropped, triggering the low fuel indicator. Despite this warning, I continued to ride for a couple of days. Earlier, when attempting to refill the tank after the low fuel indicator activated, the fuel tank neared overflow at around 8 litres, though it's designed for a capacity of 13 litres. Hence, I assumed there was approximately 4 litres left in the tank upon the indicator's activation.

After a few days of operating with low fuel (I missed to record the odometer reading, estimating a low fuel run distance of round 30-35 kms), the engine check light illuminated. Since it was evening, I decided to park the bike in my garage and planned to take it to the Royal Enfield service centre the following day for a quick inspection. However, before doing so, I refilled the tank. Voila! With the low fuel indicator light, the engine check light was now gone.

The likely culprit behind the issue was the fuel pump overheating due to insufficient fuel in the tank to keep it adequately cooled. While I initially suspected the engine check light was related to the pump overheating, I realised this wasn't the case, particularly as I experienced it even during a cold start. It seems more likely that the sensor for low fuel was the trigger. Nevertheless, the problem has been resolved, offering a valuable lesson in bike maintenance.

[2wheelsvaga]

Originally Posted by HillMan

Over the weekend, I noticed the engine check light illuminate and remain lit on my 2024 Bullet 350. Witnessing this on a new bike naturally raised concerns, yet the remedy turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.

Here's what occurred: the fuel level dropped, triggering the low fuel indicator. Despite this warning, I continued to ride for a couple of days. Earlier, when attempting to refill the tank after the low fuel indicator activated, the fuel tank neared overflow at around 8 litres, though it's designed for a capacity of 13 litres. Hence, I assumed there was approximately 4 litres left in the tank upon the indicator's activation.

After a few days of operating with low fuel (I missed to record the odometer reading, estimating a low fuel run distance of round 30-35 kms), the engine check light illuminated. Since it was evening, I decided to park the bike in my garage and planned to take it to the Royal Enfield service centre the following day for a quick inspection. However, before doing so, I refilled the tank. Voila! With the low fuel indicator light, the engine check light was now gone.

The likely culprit behind the issue was the fuel pump overheating due to insufficient fuel in the tank to keep it adequately cooled. While I initially suspected the engine check light was related to the pump overheating, I realised this wasn't the case, particularly as I experienced it even during a cold start. It seems more likely that the sensor for low fuel was the trigger. Nevertheless, the problem has been resolved, offering a valuable lesson in bike maintenance.

Thanks for sharing this experience. It certainly looks like one has to pay much more attention to fuelling than one used to in the past. The dealers made it a point to explain to me that the tank should never go to empty, and also that it should never be completely filled to the very brim.

I wonder what is the best practice to manage it in conditions where one doesn't have access to a petrol pump and the fuel level keeps going down. Pretty common on the route to Ladakh or other mountains even slightly off the beaten (touristy) track.

Also, any recommendations on transporting the motorbike via trains? One of the legal requirements is that the entire fuel tank has to be emptied out. I wonder if that's a good idea given such instructions from the bike manufacturer.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by 2wheelsvaga

Also, any recommendations on transporting the motorbike via trains? One of the legal requirements is that the entire fuel tank has to be emptied out. I wonder if that's a good idea given such instructions from the bike manufacturer.

You can fully empty the tank for transportation. It will not cause any issues. Fuel pump inside the tank is common in cars as well, nothing to worry about it. Pumps don't run continuously, they have automatic cut off and maintain a range of pressure.

Filling the tank to the brim is also not an issue. I've tried it once and did not have any leak issues as well. I usually fill 5 ltrs at a time for daily use.

These bikes are tested in Leh and people go there regularly. Take it easy. Enjoy the bike. Don't over think.

[HillMan]

I saw a video on youtube of a guy doing milage test with the new bullet. Starts with an empty tank. Filled a bottle of fuel and then drove all the way till the fuel is empty and engine shuts down. The bike did not struggle to start after fuelling up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LhMeIKNI8A

[ReventonLover]

Originally Posted by HillMan

Over the weekend, I noticed the engine check light illuminate and remain lit on my 2024 Bullet 350. Witnessing this on a new bike naturally raised concerns, yet the remedy turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.

A good post. Definitely interesting to learn.

I have been where the OP is, but in my case, the check engine light does not come on in case of fuel level reduction. But since the Classic 500 is of BSIII era from 2016, they might have not bothered to check the same (who knows).

Just to understand, I have a rough cut section of the fuel tank shown below (pardon the artistry, it's a crude mockup on MS Paint). The cut section will look like this when viewed from the front or the rear of the vehicle. For members who are not able to visualize, you can Google the cut section images and understand the frame of reference I am trying to convey.



The three red curves indicate the usual positions in which a fuel pump will be generally mounted, but there might be special exceptions. The blue line indicates the minimum fuel level required to keep the fuel pump submerged. This is the dead volume, which cannot be utilized at all. If the fuel falls below this level, the vehicle will sputter and come to a halt and you may end up with a damaged fuel pump, which is expensive to replace.

The green line indicates the reserve fuel level, which should be your warning sign to fill up the fuel before reaching the dead zone. This is where your fuel level indicator will light up or start blinking (depending on your console).

The upper red line is the recommended limit up to which you should fill the petrol. If you fill beyond this level, you might choke up the canister circuit which is responsible for capturing the fuel fumes (a waste of fuel if you ask me). An illustration of a sample motorcycle has been shared below. The breather pipe is connected to the canister assembly, which captures any waste fuel. Excess fuel there is also dumped, which is why you should ideally avoid filling the tank fully (in BS4 and above).


Side cut section


An illustration of the evapo circuit (sourced from here).

So, the usable range is significantly reduced and even if the tank level is 13L here, the actual usable volume quite less.

Hence, it is always advisable to fill up as soon as the fuel low level indicator is on.