[adrian]

Hello friends and experts, I am planning to buy a new bullet and am confused as to which model I should select. What I am looking for is gear shift on the right side like the vintage bullet and mileage around 45-50. Would electra 4s be a good choice ? Some people reports a mileage of 23 km/ litre for electra where as the RE company claims around 50. (Have to look into the mileage side with the gasoline price rocketing !!)

[kaushikr]

Getting a mileage of 45-50 kmpl is not possible on bullet AFAIK. A bullet standard which I used to drive gave me around 25 kmpl in Bangalore traffic conditions. It could have been improved to about 28 kmpl, but 45- 50 kmpl is too much to ask!

[stnair]

Originally Posted by adrian

Hello friends and experts, I am planning to buy a new bullet and am confused as to which model I should select. What I am looking for is gear shift on the right side like the vintage bullet and mileage around 45-50. Would electra 4s be a good choice ? Some people reports a mileage of 23 km/ litre for electra where as the RE company claims around 50. (Have to look into the mileage side with the gasoline price rocketing !!)

Sorry to say this but you plan does'nt make any sense

• New Bullet with gear shift on right side - Not produced any more
• Electra 4s - stopped production several years back (2006 ?)
• Mileage around 45-50 - Thats a theoretical possibility only. Practical figures are 40-45 maximum for new Electra/Classic 350cc

So if you are planning to buy new bullet with good mileage, You can choose one of the 350CC UCE engined models with left gear shift and claimed theoretical mileage of 51kmpl. Visit RE website for more details.

regards
san

[(Alok)]

Originally Posted by adrian

mileage around 45-50.

Impossible. Forget bullet.

Originally Posted by adrian

Some people reports a mileage of 23 km/ litre for electra where as the RE company claims around 50. (Have to look into the mileage side with the gasoline price rocketing !!)

Both are wrong. Many RX 100 & bullet owner tells lie to other persons. By quoting low mileage figure the try impress the others.
30-35 kmpl is the correct mileage for Std & Electra 4s & Only good luckers can get the 38-40 KMpl (max)

[Randhawa]

Originally Posted by (Alok)

Impossible. Forget bullet.


Both are wrong. Many RX 100 & bullet owner tells lie to other persons. By quoting low mileage figure the try impress the others.
30-35 kmpl is the correct mileage for Std & Electra 4s & Only good luckers can get the 38-40 KMpl (max)

+1 ^ Figure of 30-35 is what you can expect from CI bulls. If you wish to get 40+ then you will have to get a UCE bullet. Realistically only UCE will give you 40 to 45 km/L.

[iron]

Originally Posted by stnair

Sorry to say this but you plan does'nt make any sense

• ......................... more
• Electra 4s - stopped production several years back (2006 ?)

..........................
regards
san

Electra 4s was available and still selling but up north and only until early 2009. It required a lot of pestering and haranging from the dealer to the regional head if you wanted to buy one in regions other than the north.

Originally Posted by adrian

Hello friends and experts, I am planning to buy a n......................company claims around 50. (Have to look into the mileage side with the gasoline price rocketing !!)

If you are concerned about fuel prices then opt in for the new UCE based models . These models will give you a mileage close to what you want.
The ones with RHS based gear shift will give you much lesser figure .
You will end up getting around 35km/ltr but the you will have to tune it to extremely lean which is not good for the engine in the long run.

[adrian]

Hello friends, visited the Bullet showroom (Marikkar Motors) today. They said that only electra 5s is being manufactured now and they showed a Government certified mileage tag of 53 km/ litre ! The maximum low mileage shown is 39 km/lr with increase in load on the bike ! (Magic of twin spark plugs and UCE). The on road price is 1,04,531/- (95,854/-- show room price +5,800/- road tax +1,877/- insurance +1,000/- inc. Exp (don't know what it is). I think I am going to run for it but still need reviews on the bike. Hello iron could you tell me what an UCE is ?
Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

[ashokrajagopal]

From my limited experience, if a CI bull gives less mileage than 30, there is some problem.
And if it gives more mileage than say 37, there is a bigger problem.

@ Adrian, A UCE engine is the newer mono block engine coming out on Std 350 UCE (black and gold), Electra 5s , Thunderbird and Classic 350/500.
The original Std 350/500 had CI - cast iron - engines with the gear assy separate -- uses pushrods.
CI engines have been discontinued, now all you get is UCEs.
So are right leg gear shifts.

[stnair]

Originally Posted by adrian

Hello friends, visited the Bullet showroom (Marikkar Motors) today. They said that only electra 5s is being manufactured now and they showed a Government certified mileage tag of 53 km/ litre ! The maximum low mileage shown is 39 km/lr with increase in load on the bike ! (Magic of twin spark plugs and UCE). The on road price is 1,04,531/- (95,854/-- show room price +5,800/- road tax +1,877/- insurance +1,000/- inc. Exp (don't know what it is). I think I am going to run for it but still need reviews on the bike. Hello iron could you tell me what an UCE is ?
Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

RE manufactures and sells 5 models in India: RE STD 350, Electra 5s, Thunderbird Twinspark, Classic 350 and Classic 500. All are with UCE engines. So what the dealer said is not correct - Perhaps he meant only Electra 5s is available for ready delivery since the Classic models have a waiting period of nearly 8 months. Electra 5s with UCE engine can give you a mileage of above 40km on road.

To understand UCE, you have to be familiar with Old model Bullets. All motorcycles including Jawa, Yezdi, Herohonda, Yamaha, Bajaj, Suzuki, all are having UCE engines - means Engine and gearbox is integrated as one unit (unlike cars/trucks where both are separate) But for RE who makes Bullets, this is a new concept as Cast Iron bullets were having separate engine and gearbox coupled together. A separate gearbox also meant transmission losses and hence lower fuel efficiency. In 2008, RE developed and introduced a new engine with integrated engine and gearbox and named it UCE meaning Unit Construction Engine with better reliability and mileage. This was first introduced in the Thunderbird model and now used in all their models. The old Cast Iron engines with right side gear shift has been stopped. But the drawback of UCE engine is that its made of Aluminium alloy and hence the traditional Bullet Thumping sound will not be there. There is also difference in the torque characteristics and time can only tell the long term durability of these UCE engines.

The Electra 5s UCE is a good motorcycle with 19" wheels front and back, Double seats, electric start and disk brakes. As the dealer says, it will give good mileage if driven carefully. Please search Team-BHP forums for more information from members who have bought it recently.

regards
san

[(Alok)]

Originally Posted by adrian

Hello friends, visited the Bullet showroom (Marikkar Motors) today. They said that only electra 5s is being manufactured now and they showed a Government certified mileage tag of 53 km/ litre ! The maximum low mileage shown is 39 km/lr with increase in load on the bike ! (Magic of twin spark plugs and UCE).

If you ready to accept UCE bullet then why not CL350?

[adrian]

Originally Posted by stnair

RE manufactures and sells 5 models in India: RE STD 350, Electra 5s, Thunderbird Twinspark, Classic 350 and Classic 500. All are with UCE engines. So what the dealer said is not correct - Perhaps he meant only Electra 5s is available for ready delivery since the Classic models have a waiting period of nearly 8 months. Electra 5s with UCE engine can give you a mileage of above 40km on road.

To understand UCE, you have to be familiar with Old model Bullets. All motorcycles including Jawa, Yezdi, Herohonda, Yamaha, Bajaj, Suzuki, all are having UCE engines - means Engine and gearbox is integrated as one unit (unlike cars/trucks where both are separate) But for RE who makes Bullets, this is a new concept as Cast Iron bullets were having separate engine and gearbox coupled together. A separate gearbox also meant transmission losses and hence lower fuel efficiency. In 2008, RE developed and introduced a new engine with integrated engine and gearbox and named it UCE meaning Unit Construction Engine with better reliability and mileage. This was first introduced in the Thunderbird model and now used in all their models. The old Cast Iron engines with right side gear shift has been stopped. But the drawback of UCE engine is that its made of Aluminium alloy and hence the traditional Bullet Thumping sound will not be there. There is also difference in the torque characteristics and time can only tell the long term durability of these UCE engines.

The Electra 5s UCE is a good motorcycle with 19" wheels front and back, Double seats, electric start and disk brakes. As the dealer says, it will give good mileage if driven carefully. Please search Team-BHP forums for more information from members who have bought it recently.

regards
san

Sorry that I was not more descriptive in my earlier quote. What I meant was that out of electra 4s and electra 5s, the latter is the only one being manufactured. I will defenitely miss the classic thump and the right side gear. What separates Bulleteers from other bikers is their attitude (that is what I believe).I also don't want my young son to ride around in the city in a Pulsar as if he is having a pin worm infestation. (No offense to Pulsar owners, Please I was stating the riding habit).Thank you San for enlightening me on the UCE.

Originally Posted by (Alok)

If you ready to accept UCE bullet then why not CL350?

By heart I am with the CI Bull. Asking price for second hand CI Bulls with moderate condition is 70 K + and the overhaul may lead to some where near 50 K ( a friend of mine at the Office did it on his Bull recently and it was a great job with the crank weight increased and all that). Adds upto some where near 120 K !+ year to year road tax + insurance and low mileage. Can't afford it man ! As for the classic 350, I have to take my family with me too ! (Dual seats !)

Originally Posted by ashokrajagopal

From my limited experience, if a CI bull gives less mileage than 30, there is some problem.
And if it gives more mileage than say 37, there is a bigger problem.

@ Adrian, A UCE engine is the newer mono block engine coming out on Std 350 UCE (black and gold), Electra 5s , Thunderbird and Classic 350/500.
The original Std 350/500 had CI - cast iron - engines with the gear assy separate -- uses pushrods.
CI engines have been discontinued, now all you get is UCEs.
So are right leg gear shifts.

Thank you for updating me Ashok.

[adrian]

Just want to know some more details !
1. The RE website describes the specification of 350 std, electra 5s and classic 350 as the same except for electric starter, disk brake, gas filled shock absorbers in the latter ones. With the engine, carburator, ignition system and dimension of the bikes identical, how come the dealer claims that electra has more mileage than the others ?
2. Is there an option to choose between two bikes at the time of delivery or is it like 'here is the bike you booked; there is some rust under the number plates; got some scratches on; you take it or leave it ?!!

[stnair]

Originally Posted by adrian

Just want to know some more details !
1. The RE website describes the specification of 350 std, electra 5s and classic 350 as the same except for electric starter, disk brake, gas filled shock absorbers in the latter ones. With the engine, carburator, ignition system and dimension of the bikes identical, how come the dealer claims that electra has more mileage than the others ?

Please note the following:

• Electra has bigger rear wheels compared to Classic (19" vs 18")
• Stock Headlamps are of lower wattage compared to Classic (35W vs 55W)
• Electra has front disc brakes compared to drum in STD 350 (Higher brake efficiency)
• Electra has 12V DC electricals compared to 12V AC/DC in STD 350

I am not sure how each of the above contributes, but it is theoretically possible that Electra has higher Fuel efficiency than Classic and STD 350. The bigger wheels definitely will improve FE and so is the lower wattage Headlamps. But all this could be very very marginal only.

Originally Posted by adrian

2. Is there an option to choose between two bikes at the time of delivery or is it like 'here is the bike you booked; there is some rust under the number plates; got some scratches on; you take it or leave it ?!!

You are right - No option at all . However, If there is rust/scratches, You have the choice to go to RE service centre and get it painted under warranty.

[adrian]

Thank you San. I think I have finally made up my mind. I think I will go for the standard 350 UCE. Please let me know if there is any thing against it.

[stnair]

Originally Posted by adrian

Thank you San. I think I have finally made up my mind. I think I will go for the standard 350 UCE. Please let me know if there is any thing against it.

Standard? I thought You made up your mind on Electra UCE. Whats your reasons for going for STD 350? It doesnt have Electric Start and Disk brakes. So Why?

regards
san