[Freespirit27]

Originally Posted by VRod_24

Is it possible to upgrade the toe shifter on the Shotgun to the heal and toe shifted from SM 650 ?

It doesn't seem to be a ready fix at the moment. The fitment of the shifter lever is a different arrangement in Shotgun with the linkage rod to the gearbox being shorter and may obstruct the heel extension. Also the mounting fitting is coming from behind and the heel shifter extension will have to be angled behind this. Moreover, I guess if they give it, it might have that much less variation from the Classic. See this is the top view, showing the fitting of the shifter and the mounting arrangement.

And this is the side view of the mounting arrangement. If you zoom-in, you can see the short linkage rod from the gear box to the shifter. SM has a longer one, giving some clearance behind the mounting for the heel extension. The mounting arrangement is also set forward of the shifter in SM.

I think it will require a customization of either the shifter lever or the mounting bracket. I have meanwhile got used to the toe shifter Only little hassle is, effect on regular shoes, more so during rains.

[nkghai]

No Test Drive Bikes available in Tricity

Last saturday visited RE showroom in Mohali. One Shotgun was on display and the sales reps were forthcoming with details , but as soon as one asks for a test ride just nods of negativity.
Rang up all other showrooms in Chandigarh and same reply. " Sir No test drive for Super Meteor 650 and Shotgun 650".
My question is how does RE expect us to sped approx 5 lakhs without even a test drive? Ridiculous.

[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

Congrats on your new bike and wish Many miles on this RE beauty..

Nice to see Ernakulathappan Temple on background.

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by Freespirit27

Finally the Shotgun is in my garage!

Many congratulations on the new ride sir. Nicely written first impressions. Few things mentioned (like pegs not getting in the shin and engine heat warming the family jewels ) are pertinent points that make a deal breaker criteria for many on the lookout for a new bike.

Eagerly waiting for your detailed ownership report. Last but not the least, eagerly looking forward to join you one one of those Sunday rides

[pragyaal]

I am now waiting for Powertronics to release FuelX pro+ for Shotgun now, it makes a really huge difference in the ride experience.

[pragyaal]

Does anyone know what kind of air filter is in Shotgun 650? Is it similar to Interceptor 650? Wanted to check if we have some performance air filter available.

[sanjayprasannan]

Originally Posted by pragyaal

Does anyone know what kind of air filter is in Shotgun 650? Is it similar to Interceptor 650?

I believe it’s similar to the one in the Super Meteor 650. BMC has updated their webpage for the SM650 version to include Shotgun 650 as well.

[Freespirit27]

A Monarch bites the Bullet and brings home a Shotgun

The First Love. Circa ’94 I must’ve been 22 or some and had got my first job. There used to be a restaurant called Food Inn on the Causeway at Colaba, which we used to frequent close to our pay days! Yours truly a young man then, saw a gleaming machine two wheels, twin exhausts, twin pod (even if one was just a ignition key) and the sleek look of the Yezdi 350 twin cylinder. I was smitten and started reading up all about the Yezdi Monarch. It was a Bike built on the Yezdi 350cc twin cylinder chassis, but held another gem of a engine from a model called the RoadKing, which two of my friends already had. The Roadking can be a separate story of an engineering gem in itself, but in brief - it had a bulbous fuel tank, low seat and a 2-stroke single cylinder 250cc engine, and could carve corners which was just limited and thankfully so by the foot-pegs, or else we would have been sliding on the roads everywhere! Well, to cut the long story there were no lengthy research sites, no test-drives at showrooms, except the first stumbling block - I had no clue where to find a Yezdi showroom in Mumbai! Now this was the time when the Hero Honda Splendour was still new (the ultimate fuel sipper!), the likes of Yamaha, RX 100 had proved to be a craze and Suzuki, Shogun was considered a performance bike. But those were toys for boys - men needed CCs and 250cc, 2 stroke, air-cooled Roadking engine was raw power and adequate torque. Bullets were still royal and beyond the pay grade of a newbie. I knew there was a Yezdi showroom back home and Dad had just retired and settled there. So, a waited for the weekly call from the STD Booth (pre-mobile era) and Dad was tasked to book the bike without even a test drive - though in my defense, I had ridden my friend's RoadKings enough, to fall in love with the engine and be comfortable with the mechanicals and the quirks. Come September (no that was not the Month, it just sounded good for a story!) I got a near to home transfer and there at home under TLC of parents (it was delivered home by the showroom staff) was the same black machine, with gold and red decals, which I saw at Mumbai, only now it looked much bigger for my 5’ 7” frame. But swung a leg over, pushed it off the main stand and weight was no issue (the hours of gymming had helped). Pressed the little notch on the back of the gear lever with the heel and Voila! It became the Kick lever. Turned on ignition, no neutral light (I think), no startup sweep of the analogue speedo just silence. A small ‘tickler’ (something like the back of a ball point click pen) on top of the carb I think, was pressed a couple of times to get the fuel going (it had no choke instead you had to make the mixture rich by letting extra fuel in!) and a easy but firm kick and the bike roared to that classic phat phat of a two stroke and you could smell the sweet petrol and oil mix fumes. Here is a sticker outline I found online as my archives of those times are still in physical albums.

That was the beginning of my two wheeler ownership's and till date, I have scrapped one (the Yezdi with much and continued regret) and continue to ride the second (not to mention the shame of buying a gear-less kinetic nova and proudly a Chetak for my Dad). The Yezdi, Monarch ownership was all of that a young man dreams - long rides, second love loved it too, basic cleaning maintenance and repair could be done by me, mods was just a cruiser handle bar, mid life chrome and paint at the then Hyderabad, and much later an additional muffler to muzzle the sound (not realising the drastic mileage drop it caused, which was also because I had literally strangled the engine exhaust!). Here she is 10 yrs later minus the original decals waiting faithfully only major work being a blacked out rims (a faux 350 sticker and rechristened THUNDER for the sound).

Biting the Bullet. Letting it go was one of the biggest mistakes of my life! There was a forgettable chapter of the Kinetic, presumably for the for, ‘the better half’, who bettered me and smartly hijacked the car and left me to fend for myself on the Kinetic (which also became the cause for disuse of my Yezdi) in the Mumbai rains. The Monarch found its way back to hometown of purchase and stayed there in anticipation of a RC renewal and search for a good mechanic for restoration, but in vain. It was finally scrapped to a vendor at presumably Coimbatore maybe living as spares for some needy steed.

Jump to 2013 while living with the Nova, one fine day a friend offered to give me the 6 month old booking of a new RE Classic 350 because he was tired of waiting and was getting one shipped from Chandigarh where he was getting it within 30 days. Now let me admit, I have never ventured near a Bullet after the scare I got long time back in the 90s, when I rode a friends bike, with the brake lever on the wrong side (left) and kept pressing the gear lever when I saw a pedestrian crossing the road, in sheer panic . Thankfully for both pedestrian and me, I was able to swerve my way past and get my heart beat in order and, give myself a mental kick to use the left foot to stop and handover the keys to my friend with both bike and self intact, never to ride the, ‘Real Bullet’ again. But times had changed and the Mr Lal had changed the way people looked at a Bullet, brought the UC Engine reliability without losing the entire thump and most importantly brought the brake on literally the right side! So the gleam in the eyes was noticed by the missus’ and the nod was received gleefully. Now the RE Bullet is not meant to keep pace with the world, it is instead supposed to get the world to ride at your pace! The engine is higher than the Yezdi so the CG took a little getting used to, but the stance was royal, the thump was soothing, speed really didn’t matter anymore - fast was a state of mind and how much of the engine note was being heard and most times you felt good just slow thumping along watching the world go by at the same pace. Here she is on a solo ride to nowhere but ended up on Athirapalli route along the Periyar.

The itch for upgrade Jump to 2018, I was in Goa attending my first Rider Mania - The Twin was to be unveiled and it was a beauty, the throaty roar, the wide set silencers didn’t really suit my idea of sleek but I could live with it - should I, shouldn’t I? I had not discussed with the missus’ who surprisingly stopped riding pillion after getting the Nano and claimed the Monarch seat was much better than the Classic! Well, I decided to wait and soon enough a colleague drove one in to work. Casual conversation revealed the engine heat issue, aggressive seating, flatter saddle and I felt the Classic seating was my style and let me wait for the inevitable Cruiser. The J Series came and the Super Meteor, but I was still sitting on the fence.

The Shotgun story. Jump to 2023, 10yrs of thumping on various roads, started riding with some like minded friends, catching sights in the mind’s eye rather than through a lens or a screen, keeping secret discoveries secret and the bug bit again for a higher cubic capacity, a smoother engine and the last chance to upgrade - age is no longer a number and catching up faster than my rides! Jan 2024, the Shotgun comes along with an engine which was now proven, seating that was a little less aggressive (than Interceptor), silencers seemed a bit more tucked in, weight a tad short of quarter ton. I went ahead and did the booking a day after the launch date in January, the SA Kailash called from the allotted service center. No hype, no over sell, Sir, can you send the x, y, z papers and I asked for the details. By now the heart was already set and the questions were just a formality. The proposal, as if under consideration, was placed to the wife. Surprisingly, her response ranged from noncommittal, to almost like, yeah fine and that was a assent enough for me to start getting my funds in order. Tentative delivery was listed to Mar and typically I got delay news with reasons such as new Himalayan launch, productions biased to Himalayan and such. A day in Feb, I got a invite call for a unveiling. Again, sought a escape from office, picked up my, ‘moral support’ from hers and rode my 350 to the showroom, after all you cannot go to a bike launch in a car! It was a simple affair and thankfully so as I’m not the one for lot of hype and razzmatazz there was a Drill Green bike exposed from under the red satin wraps.

It was what I imagined. I waited my turn and walked around, asked the dealer rep, threw a leg over and felt the bike’s heft and weight. It seemed just fine, bigger than the 350, tank seemed longer like I had to stretch or maybe it was just slimmer than the 350. The offset arrangement of a big dial speedo and the tripper was not exactly what I wanted, the switches seemed to be made for bigger hands and the seat was a tad stiff, but like I said the heart was already set and the wait for the Classic 650 was not worth it - this looked more or less the part I wanted it to play. I clicked the bike in a few long shots but the child in me was more interested in the bike and not many snaps were taken.


The next round of waiting started and I gave a call or two to Kailash for updates. RE being what they are were not bothered to send any mail or texts. Kaizan WA status kept me excited with other launches of the new Himalayan. I was told they were flying off the shelf and production was biased to the ADV. The launch bike also went away and no test drives were being offered. The bikes would come into the display and the customer would take it away. March marched away and April fooled me, finally in end April I got a call that the bike had come and balance payment could be made to process formalities. I have never been big on PDI but decided to go and have look as it was my first, probably last big ticket bike purchase. The rest as they say is Shotgun and is there on the earlier post/link.

On a side note soon after the purchase however, I was placed on notice to move to Mumbai. The question rose of transportation of the bike. The TBHP was sought for help and Mr Vivek's number was shared. He was great but the expense of nearly 60k for 2 bikes from Kochi to Mumbai didn’t suit my stingy pockets and a secret idea has been germinating in my mind, of using this as the excuse! A ride from Kochi to Mumbai on the Shotgun. So with a heavy heart I have moved the 350 by train. A big shoutout to one Mr Ajay at Kochi South station - a typical jugaad guy, but got the packing and loading job done for me and the Staff at the station was super helpful. Only hitch is the timing of the RPF guy who does the no fuel & tank dry inspection.
So I hope this will be a, 'to be continued' of a ride to Mumbai in my first travelogue of Shotgun diaries…

Requesting mods to slot the post as deemed fit and link to my earlier post.

[skrishdrives]

A superb ride bro and an equally superb write-up... a fellow mallu and one with similar tastes as well to boot

Happy that you have got the SG650... I myself have been sitting on the fence with the Super Meteor and the Shotgun waiting to take the plunge

It's been a long time since I have given up riding my launch time Pulsar 150 (circa 2002) for the past (too) many years now and keep wondering whether I would be able to handle the weight (literally and otherwise) of the 650cc engine or is it too big a jump

The kid in me is daring to take the dive, but just a couple of roadblocks that are holding me back from going through with it...

I shall eagerly wait to read your ride experience from Kochi to Mumbai and the associated feedback on the ride n bike as I havent really found too many on the SG650 here on TBHP

Good times ahead to you... Cheers!

[mugen_pinaki27]

Originally Posted by Freespirit27

I clicked the bike in a few long shots but the child in me was more interested in the bike and not many snaps were taken.

For me, this sums up my bike experience. The pictures, truly, are secondary. The feel, the touch, the speed, and the performance are more than the spec sheet. I feel you, brother! The RE Shotgun in on my list of potential bikes in the future. Lovely post indeed! Do share pics of gear and rides when possible. The color looks lovely

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by bravo82in

Is there a backrest available for the pillion on the Shotgun 650? I couldn't find one listed as an official accessory or aftermarket option. A short one will add functionality without compromising aesthetics

There is none in the official website; but some options are available outside. But I personally feel it kills the look of the bike totally.

Here is one sample :-

[Boringrider]

Recently took 2 test rides of the Shotgun and man it is mighty impressive. First was a no questions asked, ride however long you want to in which I would have covered around 10-15 kms beyond which I started feeling guilty so just returned it back. And the second one today was a short one for around 2-3 kms. I was raving so much about the BSA Goldstar as will be evident in that thread but today it was very clear that this was it. I had that moment in my head while riding where it really clicks. Imagine that feeling when you are debating against 2 choices and then suddenly you can see with absolute certainty about what you will pick. That did happen today. I could easily imagine myself cruising down the highway, munching miles with ease, with that twin exhaust symphony in the background. Just wide smiles all over! The only thing I immediately started wishing for was if this bike had cruise control, it would be the perfect companion.
After returning the bike, I got some financing options from them and left the showroom.

I decided against the BSA due to its low seat height and the entire Classic Legends experience doesn't inspire confidence. The BSA is not an inferior product. For the first time, they have managed to put out a well made product but it's just not for me. Shorter riders will enjoy their time on it, not me. Shotgun is also on the lower side for me (6'3") but it felt much more natural and relaxed, relative to the Goldstar. 780 mm is just too low compared to the RE's 795mm.

And now, the race to "save up" the funds begins. Modern Yezdis don't seem to get decent resale values. I will try my luck with OLX but there is a long time to go. By that time, I am guessing the Classic 650 will be out. Interesting to see how they make that happen because this already feels like a much bigger Classic 350 to ride. Suggestions on other potential upgrade options are welcome.

[Sommos]

Always had the desire to own a bike in my younger days - but as fate would have it, first my father did not approve and then my wife did not agree. Now, in my fifties the desire to have a bike would normally never come to my mind. But suddenly, out of the blue, when one day my son very casually expressed his dream/ desire to own a RE some day in the future, a lot of argument started in the house. Wifey was still dead against the idea of a bike while my son had already started saving money from day one. For introduction, my son has just completed his engineering and joined service in July 2023. This would be his first bike but I know that he often rides bike belonging to office colleague which happens to be a RE Classic 350.

After about six months of discussion/ arguement between the two - in which I had to play the role of a mediator, wifey softened her stance and granted permission. The next part was a surprise for me - for I thought that my son would opt for any normal 350CC bike. But he was fixated on the Continental GT in mind. On my request he agreed to test drive the GT and the Shotgun before he takes a final decision - the SM did not appeal to him.

Finally, after two back-to-back test drives of both the bikes, the Shotgun 650 in Stencil White colour was chosen for the comfort factor and the posture. Due to certain issues with documentation (notarised rent agreement was not accepted as per the Pune dealers) it was decided that I would book the bike here at Chandrapur. Additional benefit was that I can even get a BH registration in my name.

The bike was booked on 01/09/2024 and the local dealer went to great length to get the delivery on 10/09/2024. PDI was done same day and clearance was given to proceed for registration. RTO inspection etc has been completed but due to continuous holidays from 13/09/2024 to 17/09/2024 the registration is still pending for final approval in the system. In the meanwhile the bike was delivered to me on 16/09/2024. Some of the accessories were still in transit and none had been fitted at the time of delivery.

A picture of the bike - the person driving is a colleague :-




The bike will be with me for some time till registration is complete and then I will have to find a way to transport the bike to Pune. I'm now using the bike for my daily commute to office and it has covered 50 KM. Enjoying riding a bike again after maybe 20 years.

[skrishdrives]

Congratulations!!! Looks really good indeed, although would have preferred a pic with you on the bike instead of your colleague, after all its been your wish all along these years to own and ride one

I recently had a test drive myself on the SG650 and boy was that machine rearing to go...

What are the accessories that are installed and pending to be installed on this new beast of yours?

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by skrishdrives

Congratulations!!! Looks really good indeed, although would have preferred a pic with you on the bike instead of your colleague, after all its been your wish all along these years to own and ride one

I recently had a test drive myself on the SG650 and boy was that machine rearing to go...

What are the accessories that are installed and pending to be installed on this new beast of yours?

Thanks for your wishes. The biker in me is long dead and I'm a four wheeler guy now. The bike is really heavy while stationary but quite easy and nimble while it is in motion. The thrump of the exhaust and the raw power available is pure bliss. The younger guys at work all had a drive of the bike and they were all smiles at the power of the 650CC engine.


Accessories ordered :-
Sump Guard
Engine Guard - Compact
Bar end Mirrors + Bar end finishers
Black LED indicators
Signature Seat - Rider & Pillion.