[rdna]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Due to a last minute plan to go to Coorg tomorrow by bike, I got the bike checked and did a routine service of oiling and greasing. During this time, i asked the mechanic to top up the fork oil. He put 10ml of oil in each fork.

Viola!! On the ride to office, no matter how hard i braked, i could not notice the juddering issue. Hope it stays that way!!!

That's good to hear. Also read somewhere that the oil level on these bikes are a tad bit low and that causes the clacking sound when you go over rough patches and bumps. Couple of guys have topped up their oil levels and the sound disappeared, but it is different from the juddering from what we have(or rather you had).

Originally Posted by shridhar.s.i

Now that is some good news abhinav,hey folks i am planning for a tyre change-both front and rear..i have decided to put tubeless tyres..any suggestions ???

Michelin Pilot Sporty has a good reputation. You might want to try it.

[shridhar.s.i]

Ok,
Michelin Pilot sporty seems to be a good option but can you folks tell me the approximate cost it would be for both front and rear..it should not drain me on Vitamin M severely
I enquired at our national brand MRF and they quoted Rs 4000 for front+rear tubeless and valves

Please advise

[rdna]

Originally Posted by shridhar.s.i

Ok,
Michelin Pilot sporty seems to be a good option but can you folks tell me the approximate cost it would be for both front and rear..it should not drain me on Vitamin M severely
I enquired at our national brand MRF and they quoted Rs 4000 for front+rear tubeless and valves

Please advise

That is the problem with retailers. If they stock up with a good brand which has high demand, they quote their own price. Try to get them down to at least Rs. 3700

[abhinav.s]

Completed the solo long ride to Coorg this weekend!!

The onward journey was hectic due to the time that I had to leave Bangalore. The afternoon heat beat me down and I could complete the journey of 236kms in 6 hours including breaks.

I planned the return journey in the evening. So left Coorg at 7:30 evening and was at home at 12:30 in the night, including a 45 minutes dinner break and two 15 minutes breaks.

Sorry no pics as the cam was not with me and it was a last minute trip.

The bike performed well and I am yet to calculate the mileage. There were some minor hiccups in performance which I need to discuss with Joel shortly.

Originally Posted by rdna

That's good to hear. Also read somewhere that the oil level on these bikes are a tad bit low and that causes the clacking sound when you go over rough patches and bumps. Couple of guys have topped up their oil levels and the sound disappeared, but it is different from the juddering from what we have(or rather you had).

Ah! Yes.. I too remember reading probably in Technocrat's thread. I too noticed that the clacking sound is now gone after topping up the oil.

[abhinav.s]

As mentioned in the previous post, on the solo long ride, there were issues in reaching 3 digit speeds.

Got a chance to get it checked yesterday. Since I have a K&N, the filter box is removed. There were some pipes hanging around. The local mech who serviced the bike had taped the pipes closed. Got it removed and the bike felt a bit better.

But there is still some inherent issues with pick up. Got to meet Joel at the soonest to get it checked and resolved.

[abhinav.s]

Finally met up with Joel 2 weekends ago and got the bike checked. He was not able to make out any problems though he agreed that there is an issue with pickup at certain RPM. He and his guys literally ripped the bike and tested by replacing all the parts but the problem was still there and they were not able to identify which part was causing the issue.

Since having gotten the bike back, I am using it in the city, the problem manifested only once. Was able to do up to 80kmph with ease and faster compared to when the issue was more persistent.

Will need to test it out on a long ride which I am planning to, the coming weekend. Planning on a trip to Coorg again. Will test the bike during this trip to see if it can do speeds of 80-90kmph for long durations or if the issues crop up again!! (Touch wood, hoping its fine!!)

[rdna]

If Joel can't put a finger on the issue, imagine the local TVS mechs :P Ride safe and keep us posted about your findings.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by rdna

If Joel can't put a finger on the issue, imagine the local TVS mechs :P Ride safe and keep us posted about your findings.

Good one man!! Well it was partly my fault since the issue started after the local mech washed the bike and greased the cables. He took an extra effort to service the bike which was not asked/required of him. It screwed things up. Waiting for the ride over the weekend to check the performance!!

[avasekeh]

Originally Posted by rdna

Michelin Pilot Sporty has a good reputation. You might want to try it.

I checked with a couple of dealers near my place and they did not have michelin pilot sporty in stock (for my apache). They did tell me that they can try sourcing it in a day or two, but they were trying to push me for the Ceat tyre..the button tyre as they were calling it.

Any feedback on those Ceat tyres?. I have seen many folks using those...how do these fare against the michelins?.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by avasekeh

Any feedback on those Ceat tyres?. I have seen many folks using those...how do these fare against the michelins?.

Not sure about the Ceat ones, but you can try the Dunlop Geo Cruisers. They are supposed to be quite good.

[KRRaj]

abhinav.s, What Tyres did you finally go for? And how are they faring?

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by KRRaj

abhinav.s, What Tyres did you finally go for? And how are they faring?

Have stuck with the same tires for now as there are other teething issues which needs to be addressed first. Have mentioned about it a few posts ago. I have set up another appointment with Joel to diagnose the bike. Will go for the tires once the issues are resolved.

[nkrishnap]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Have stuck with the same tires for now as there are other teething issues which needs to be addressed first. Have mentioned about it a few posts ago. I have set up another appointment with Joel to diagnose the bike. Will go for the tires once the issues are resolved.

You can go to Sai Iyengar tyres for the Michelin Pilot Sport typres 100/90*18 tubeless. It will cost your 2200/-.

Great tyres for dry tarmac, not sure about the wet conditions. May be I should try and get hold of one of the test tyres Michelin Sirac in 100/90 spec.

[shridhar.s.i]

Well the choice of tyres can go 2 ways, if you want performance tyres but most of your driving is on dry tarmac...you can always go for Michelin series (Tubeless) but in India we know that except rainy season we also keep on having water on roads due to leaking pipes..overflowing NALA etc...etc...and in my experience if you accidentally brake hard on such surfaces...the principle of "Water film" comes into picture whereby your bike just skids over the surface without any traction
The other option is to go for zigzag / cross tread which gives good road traction but reduces fuel economy and also the handling on turns is more restricted as bike seems to grip more than required
I had to choose option 2 because my daily ride is a combination of highway + city and also weekend long trips where roads are really bad,
So i went for the Dunlop Tube + tyre 120 / 90 for the rear
and i am planning to go for Michelin Sirac series for the front to get maximum grip and help for my front + rear disks
Hope it helps and please feel free to correct me if i am wrong here

[abhinav.s]

Well friends, with a heavy heart, bid adieu to the beloved RTR160 today. The teething problem could not be resolved. Everything was in perfect condition still the bike would not go beyond 80kmph on long rides. If taken beyond that it would start sputtering and then shut down. It would start again after 5-10 mins but it would not go beyond 55-60kmph for another 15-20 mins. It comes back to its self and again if you try to take it beyond 75-80kmph, it starts all over with the same issue.

Joel tried his level best and spent 2 full days with the bike but could not pin down the issue. Kudos to him for putting all the effort he could though he was short of mechs and also running around with his other commitments etc.

I could not put up with the issue and live with it since I prefer to commute to Coorg by bike mostly. So booked my losses and parted with it today.

Contemplating between a ZMA and FZ16 as the next ride. Update soon!