[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

If i just compare the price point, for the RE price i can easily manage Fz25 or Dominar or Avenger 220(and money in bank) or may be even CBR250R(if it is coming back).

Yes, correct. But those bikes which you listed are not REs.

REs still have some old world, mechanical, eternal & vibey charm, which few other bikes provide.

[Maverick79]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Mate as far as I know Amaron does not make motorcycle battery higher than 12V 9Ah. Like mine your Tbird500 would require a 12V 14Ah battery. Apart from known brands like Exide, SF Sonic(again Exide subsidiary), Amco, Tata Green etc. I don't think any other reputed manufacturer makes 12V 14Ah battery. There are some unknown brands who do make such batteries but I am not sure if we can trust them. From what I have seen RE had started equipping the Tbird350 with Amaron 8Ah MF Sealed battery a couple of years back but they have retained the Exide Lead Acid 14Ah battery for Tbird500. It might be due to the presence of EFi fuel pump.

Thanks mate.
Will go ahead with Exide for now and compromise on the 24 months warranty what Amaron offers on most of its products.

Further, can any one clarify if there is any minimum Kms running requirement per week, to keep the battery in a minimum health condition.

Mine is mostly a week end use with minimum 10 kms run per week now. Other than the monthly / bi monthly 150 kms long drives.

Regards,
Maverick79

[eko]

Once a month use is good enough for batteries. Let it to charge for 10 minutes to be on safe side. It is good to use a trickle battery charger in your case. There are various Indian and International brands available.

[ArizonaJim]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Thanks, True. With such a high monthly sales, i guess service centers are only minting money.

I fully understand that the bike drinks lots of oil, clutch, chains etc. but could not digest monthly service for no reason and walked away. Manual says 3000 km service interval and i guess 3000kms might be like 4 months for my kind of usage. ...

I think you might be thinking of the old Iron Barrel or AVL powered Royal Enfields?

The new Unit Construction Engine (UCE) does not burn oil or do any damage to its clutch.

I don't think my 2011 model is unique and I can truthfully say the only time in the last 6 years and 23,000 miles (37,000 km) it lost any engine oil was just after it was 3 years old.

In that case it developed a very slight leak on the cylinder head rocker cover. Not enough to cause the oil level to drop. Rather, just enough to dampen the cooling fins.

Removing the fuel tank for access and removing the rocker arm covers and applying a thin coating of sealant fixed the problem and it has not happened again sense then.

There is one area where oil does accumulate, right below the forward drive sprocket.
Many people think this is caused by an engine oil leak but in reality, it is oil that was thrown off of the rear drive chain as the chain goes around that front sprocket.
It's nothing to worry about but it does need cleaning up from time to time.

The OEM chain that came with my RE did wear fairly rapidly and by the time the motorcycle had reached 3000 miles (4840 km) I felt it should be replaced.
(This chain was oiled every 1000 km so I know the problem was not due to poor maintanence.)
I replaced the chain with an American made chain and it is still in good condition with over 18,000 miles (29,000 km) on it.

With the exception of the first oil change at 500 km which is needed to flush out any of the small bits of metal caused by the initial break in, my Owners Manual says the recommended oil and oil filter changes are needed every 6,000 km. No other oil changes are needed.

The Owners Manual does say the distance between the scheduled service visits is every 3,000 km but these are mainly for inspections to make sure everything is still in good working order.

[deepeshh]

I own a 2016 TB350 which has clocked only 2200 km so far.

After my last service I am facing a missing problem, especially while accelerating in the 1st and 2nd gears. The missing appears only during the initial acceleration and post that its seamless.

Had got my bike checked by a local mechanic and he cleaned the spark plug and it was fine for the first two days. But now the problem has surfaced again. Went back to him once again and he says it could be an electrical problem and will have to check the entire wiring harness.

This problem is really irritating as this occurs when accelerating while in tight spots and off late this issue has really taken a toll on my confidence while riding.

Can somebody help me with a solution?

[Abhishek3001]

Originally Posted by deepeshh

This problem is really irritating as this occurs when accelerating while in tight spots and off late this issue has really taken a toll on my confidence while riding.

Can somebody help me with a solution?

I would suggest that,you check the spark plugs again, if they have become really sooty/black again then the problem might be related to fueling ie the air-fuel ratio is too rich.
Check your bike's fuel consumption,if it's high then it might be a carburettor issue.
You can also try using different spark plugs,using a hotter Bosch plug helped me alot with the plug fouling issue on my classic 500.

Also check whether your bike's air filter is clogged.

[ArizonaJim]

I agree with Abhishek3001. The spark plug needs to be removed and examined.
If the center electrode insulator is black and sooty, that is the cause of the misfires.

The most likely thing that can cause the rich air/fuel mixture that will cause this to happen is a clogged or dirty air filter which will restrict the amount of air the engine can breath.

Cleaning the air filter and replacing the spark plug could be all that's needed to restore the motorcycles performance and to keep this from happening again.

Normally, the spark plug heat range the motorcycle comes with will be adequate. Royal Enfield chose it because it works for most riders.
Notice I didn't say it works for all riders.

People who ride very gently or who take very short rides which doesn't give the engine enough time to thoroughly warm up can have fouled spark plugs simply because of the way they ride.
In cases like this, going to a "hotter" spark plug heat range can solve the problem.

I'm going to assume that some people don't understand the "hot" and "cold" "heat range" a spark plug is made to. Those of you who already know this might want to go to another post.
For the curious, read on.

Spark plugs have a ceramic insulator that positions the center electrode.
This insulator not only positions the metal electrode tip but it cools it as well.

If this insulator gets coated with carbon from partially burned fuel, the carbon will cause the high voltage that should be making the spark by jumping the gap to the ground electrode to travel directly along the insulator to the metal spark plug body without making the spark. Without a spark, the air/fuel mixture won't light producing the misfire.

When all is well, the center ceramic insulator will get hot enough while the engine is running to burn off any carbon that tries to form on it. This amount of heat will cause the center insulator to develop a light tan to white color which is good.
The temperature that this insulator and the spark plug tip operating in this range is between 400°C and 800°C (750°F and 1470°F).

If the spark plug center insulator looks black, it is conducting the heat away from itself to the body of the spark plug faster than the heat is being produced.
Short low speed trips or long periods with the engine idling can cause this to happen.
We call this type of spark plug, "cold".

If the spark plug center insulator looks glazed or blistered, it is not conducting the heat away from itself fast enough to the body of the spark plug. Running the engine fast with wide open throttles can cause this.
We call this type of spark plug, "hot".

So, why not just use a "hot" spark plug to solve the carbon problem?
Because if the spark plug is too hot it will cause the air/fuel mixture to ignite before the spark happens. This "pre-ignition" can destroy an engine.

The spark plug companies understand this so they make their spark plugs in different heat ranges. Cold plugs for high speed hard working engines and hot plugs for low speed easy working engines.

Because there are many different conditions a engine might be used at, the spark plug companies provide several different heat ranges of plugs, often 3 hotter and 3 colder than the "average" spark plug they make. These different heat ranges are given by a number that is buried in the spark plug number.

For instance, the Bosch spark plug my RE 500cc engine came with is a # WR7DDC4. The 7 represents the heat range.
The NGK spark plug I replaced that plug with is a BPR6ES. The 6 represents the heat range.

I would like to say one can just go with a higher number to get a "hotter" plug or a lower number to get a "colder" but such is not the case.

Some spark plug companies use a higher number to represent their hotter spark plugs while other companies use a lower number to represent their hotter spark plugs.
Bosch uses a higher number to represent a hotter spark plug.
NGK uses a lower number to represent a hotter spark plug.

There are charts available on the web that give the answer to which way some companies use.

http://www.briskusa.com/spark_plug_c...at_range_chart

If all of this mystifies you, go to a GOOD mechanic. He will know what you need.
Going to a certified, official dealers mechanic might not be the best answer though.
Many of them don't understand spark plug heat ranges and often they are told they should only use the spark plug the company has selected.
As we just learned, that is not always the best answer for the way you ride.

[VW2010]

I am surprised how mechanics straightaway jump to electrical problem. Like Arizonajim suggested just swap the spark plug with a new plug to eliminate spark plug. Even if the current one is not an issue a spare spark plug will always come to rescue at different times.

There is difference between starvation and missing firing. If its the prior then one needs to invest time on air fuel mixture. If its the latter you have to start with spark plug and work backwards.

[dubeneeraj]

I have a thunderbird 500 2013 model. It has done 11000km. I stay at Udhampur J&K. Due to missing problems I had tried to get the throttle body and Injector cleaned. But the quality of service at authorised service centre was not up to the mark. I am looking for a qualified mechanic for servicing my efi. Does any one know of such a person in Udhampur or Jammu?

[trtraj]

Hello Bulleteers,


Did anyone tried bypassing the purge valve and canister in BSIV ? I heard the new BS IV eliminated the purge valve and only canister is there now. And the bikes are not facing any issues during throttle beyond 75~80 kmph,

my bike's current condition is till 80kmph the throttling is seamless, beyond that i must put a hard twist and it takes more time to reach 90, that too with lot of vibration.

I believe if i bypass the BS IV components it will give me better speed.

[wanderernomad]

Guys am facing a peculiar situation. I have a 2001 Machismo AVL 350CC. I have now got it from my brother after 15 years so am a bit out of practise/knowledge. The bullet starts well and then idles perfectly, however, the moment I turn the accelerator up, it sort of dies out but the moment I let go, it settles back to a nice idle. What could be wrong? Am suspecting a stuck float ,which I think floods the carb and the engine dies out. Am I correct and should I go ahead and open the carb or any other suggestions/remedies?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Guys am facing a peculiar situation. I have a 2001 Machismo AVL 350CC. I have now got it from my brother after 15 years so am a bit out of practise/knowledge. The bullet starts well and then idles perfectly, however, the moment I turn the accelerator up, it sort of dies out but the moment I let go, it settles back to a nice idle. What could be wrong? Am suspecting a stuck float ,which I think floods the carb and the engine dies out. Am I correct and should I go ahead and open the carb or any other suggestions/remedies?

Lucky you!

That's one spanker of a machine. Congratulations!

The carburetor could be a good start, it could be that the vaccum slide is stuck, which leans out your AFR when you crack open your throttle, on a cold motorcycle that could kill the motor.

If the float were stuck then the carburetor would be overflowing, if I'm not wrong the AVL's came with Mikuni/UCAL BS CV carbs, my float needle in my P220 seized once and the motorcycle kept peeing fuel everywhere it went.

For alternatives you could get any BS off any Pulsar that's a near match, even for our ZMA rebuild we recently picked up a UCAL 33mm from the NS and the thing costs only 3.3k, meaning the smaller ones would cost even less.



Do keep us posted!

Regards,
A.P.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Guys am facing a peculiar situation. I have a 2001 Machismo AVL 350CC. I have now got it from my brother after 15 years so am a bit out of practise/knowledge. The bullet starts well and then idles perfectly, however, the moment I turn the accelerator up, it sort of dies out but the moment I let go, it settles back to a nice idle. What could be wrong? Am suspecting a stuck float ,which I think floods the carb and the engine dies out. Am I correct and should I go ahead and open the carb or any other suggestions/remedies?

Mate from the symptoms listed I believe it may be due to a sticky float bowl or vacuum slider(as mentioned by ap). If your accelerator cable is also getting stuck then do check the throttle valve as well. I believe your 350cc AVL LB 5 speed engine uses a UCAL CV BS26 carburetor, the AVL LB 500cc used to comes with UCAL CV BS29.

This happens when the bike is standing for prolonged periods unused and also due to fuel contamination.

I know this sounds very basic but do check if the choke is left on by mistake.

Having owned a 2004 Tbird AVL 350(the same engine used on AVL Machismo 350) I would suggest you to stick with the stock carburetor and setting. First get the carburetor serviced and overhauled and then check to see if the problem persists.

[wanderernomad]

Yeah, it seems like a Carb issue only so this weekend will open and clean it up. The Vacuum slide could be a culprit and yes the bike does stand unused but not for that prolonged periods. Accelerator cable is fully lubed and operational. Mine is a 4 speed engine and not a 5 speed one, so not very sure about the Carb.

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Guys am facing a peculiar situation. I have a 2001 Machismo AVL 350CC. I have now got it from my brother after 15 years so am a bit out of practise/knowledge. The bullet starts well and then idles perfectly, however, the moment I turn the accelerator up, it sort of dies out but the moment I let go, it settles back to a nice idle. What could be wrong? Am suspecting a stuck float ,which I think floods the carb and the engine dies out. Am I correct and should I go ahead and open the carb or any other suggestions/remedies?

I am no bullet expert , nor do i own one , so my 2 paisa comes with riders.

At 15 years, the bore of any bike gets worn out. It would help if you could check the compression. Low compression results in misfire which is easily mistaken for electrical fault.