[bantejas]

Nothing against you, but as a bulleteer/rider: please do not buy as you don't know what you want from the bike. This is an earnest request, else, within these 3 pages, you have enough material to take the decision! What more are you looking for? Whether to buy or not is your decision and can't be ours!

Tejas

[navin_v8]

Hey Sam,

I said earlier and would repeat again, THE BULLET is not just about Heavy Crank and chugging a 20KMPH on 4th gear. I myself had started a thread on this forum some time back about converting my CI 350's light crank to heavy crank. I even went to the extent of sourcing the heaviest crank i.e. 14Kgs used in 1950's Bullet. BUT as I told every bullet has a character of its own and i found it a plenty on my CI 350 light crank.

Like you even i rode a friends 1983 Bullet with Heavy Crank and loved it when it chugged at 20KMPH at 4th gear, I agree to the fact that the THUMP at that speed and gear is so very addictive. But there's more to a bullet than just crank weight. If you are adamant on having a heavy crank bullet then buy it coz in your case no other bullet would satisfy you.

The modifications to be carried out to put in the heavy crank is not rocket science but I decided to keep my CI 350 as it is with its existing light crank that was factory fitted. As someone said the acceleration is better than heavy crank bullets in my bullet and it helps for easy overtaking and takes you quicker to hit 3 digit speeds. Again let me clarify light crank doesn't mean I am a speed freak it is just a feature out of many features on a Bullet.

This is all I have to say, in your case go ahead and buy a heavy crank bullet to each his own

I am a mallu and with respect to all the mallus who like to fit their bullets with heavy crank, I am an exception

[ashokrajagopal]

@Sam_sant, you are the ideal person to buy and use an old bullet. What is the worst thing that is going to happen ? In a few months, you are going to sell it again. I am sure in this era, you would definitely fetch a good price for a CI bullet when you sell again.


All these problems attributed to bullets are cos people buy and use them with wrong expectations. What I have known is that even fixing up a new Acc cable or clutch cable has a knack when it comes to bullets.

Will tell an anecdote.
Once on the road, when I was trying to escape a fall cos of an accident in front, I hit my right side on a post on the divider, and the acc cable broke. I had to pay 50 rs to a nearby office security to watch my bike for the night. Came back in the morning, found a nearby bullet mechanic, got two acc cables, and made him put it back.
It was all fine. I was still not very convinced and decided to ride it to Sudhakar Anna who services my bike. 100 m before I reached there, the cable broke again. Lucky I had the other one. Pushed my bike there, and got it fixed again. More than 3k km with that cable, and it is still intact.
The guy who fixed it first is a bullet specialist too -- but not good enough.

All you have to do is find a good mechanic. Spend some time on this, talk to many bulleteers and find one out-- how I wish you were in Hyderabad, cos I could recommend Sudhakar Anna. Buy a bullet only after this.

I ride a CI350 '92 everyday for ~25 kms. It is my daily mode of commute. But if one day it doesnt start, I just have to park it back, catch an auto and head to office. The one problem I have is to actually pick up the mech and bring him home to check it cos I do not have another vehicle. You dont have that problem with that car.
My bike is stock except for exteriors.
I ride it sedately in the city. I have never had issues other than cables breaking (once) and punctures (once). Not more frequently than TVS victor, RX135, Suzuki Fiero, Bajaj something(i dont remember; it was a friends bike -- they have so many models) I used for months earlier.
I get service done religiously at around 1500kms or so.

Would I recommend a bullet to anybody ? Definitely no.
If you have a wife to be dropped at 9AM to office, and a kid to be dropped in play school at 815 and picked up back at 3 PM and dropped at home before you can head back to office for an important client call, the bullet MAY not work for you.
Would it always break down ? -- it wont. But once in two months even is frustrating because you dont want to spoil important things in life.

If one morning it doesnt start, can you go to office in a different vehicle ? Can you come back later the evening or on the weekend, an pick up a mechanic to fix the bull ? If it refuses to start from the office, can you park it there safely and come back the next morning(or the next weekend) with a mechanic ? If yes, go for the bullet.
Please note that it is not going to happen everyday. In two years, of monthly 20 days of riding, ONCE I had to park it at home cos it wont start in the morning, ONCE I had to park it at office cos of a puncture, and ONCE I had to pay 50 rs to a nearby office security cos the cable broke midway.

All this is in no comparison to the ride I get every day.

Bullet has a simple design, but it is older. When it comes to bullets, there is a vast difference between theory and practical.

Right from starting a bullet to servicing one, there is a knack to do it. I dont know what it is about the bull, but I have seen that not every mechanic(and not every user) has his way with the bullets. This is what happens when somebody who is well versed with automobiles buys one. And starts using it and servicing it himself. You can learn the technology, you can get the steps to fix a problem, but the problem wont be fixed if you are not doing it the right way. By right way, I do not mean the right voltage for your battery, or the right size for tyres. It is the right number of turns on the screws, the right tightness in the cables etc. If it is not done right, it is prone to break down again.
Apparently that is one of the reasons why Bullet is faced with this name of being unreliable. The people who churn these out ( read RE personnel) are not all built for it.

[ZedMae]

Excellent post Ashok Sir. Very pragmatic with no emotion attached whatsoever. This should probably help the OP to take a call. Being a newbie bullet owner myself, I can definitely say that one does get his share of pleasure and occasional heartburn owning a bullet.

Cheers

[_abhishek]

@sam_sant2005, you totally reflect my state of mind about a year back, when I booked my bullet. Owning a bullet should not be only about the thump or the attention one gets from 'commuters' at traffic signals or at parking lots. There is a lot more to owning a bullet than just these. You wouldnt want to spend a lot of money just for these things. Many people say that bullet is just about the thump. I guess it is because of its the prominent sound one hear from the bullet. It is unlike the other bikes in the market. Initially even I was drooling about the thump. But once I started riding the bike, I actually forgot the thump. Infact as SpitFire said, its only the people behind you who hear the loud thump and not you. The bullet is about the way it rides, the way you feel when riding the bike, its sturdiness, love for the bike and the pleasant smile on the face when you are riding it. Agreed, any new bullet has lot of issues and the main one is starting problem and the clutch cable. But what one should understand is it is a purely 'mechanical' bike compared to the 'computerised' modern bikes. I think you get what I am trying to say. It takes time for you to understand the bike. And once you are done with that you will fall in love with the bike.

[Gordon]

Glad to see we have all matured in regards to the Bullet. Its no longer and never was the thump, heavy crank, cast iron or 4th-gear-20kmph stuff only.

@Sam: I agree with most. You couldn't bear a brand new cast iron, so its quite obvious a 2nd hand used one will not do the trick. If you're looking for a Bullet go in for the UCE. Its the step forward, not backward.

[Born 2 Be Wild]

SAm Dude i read some of your posts on orkut when you sold your Bullet for the pulsar some years back, Honestly people have put in a lot of Info into this thread in the previous pages and for someone looking for the right or wrong reasons it would suffice to make a decission.

Honestly i feel you couldnt handle a new Bullet a second hand Bullet would drive you up the wall . You are better off without one!
Just for the record my 2006 electra has never let me down ever (touchwood) after 58k Kms on the odo its still doing A-Ok.

[Gordon]

Did you try buying your bike back? That'd be a good start.

[Gordon]

So my ultimate question to all my dear Bullet fan's is this :- Should I go for this?

My ultimate answer to this question is - NO. Some of the many reasons are below:

You believe:

Someone intelligent those days once told me I made the mistake of buying a new bull and not an old one.

No dude I sold it out of frustration just after 3 months and 2500kms.

I intend to do 20kmph in top gear and lug her for that 'beat'!

So if as many of u say it spoils the engine/gearbox, why should that super professional Bullet Mechanic tell me that ???? Mind you, whole of his family in into Bullet business, repairs and modifications. Did he go wrong?

Some of my litte tit-bits now.

The 'slow' speed 'lugging', which you term as damaging the engine, is in fact (to a large part) attributed to the torquee nature of the Bullets.

Torque is the ability of the engine to move forward even under stress. It is the ability of the ENGINE and not the TRANSMISSION. When you are in higher gears and a low speed, the engine has the torque to rotate the higher gears. However, as you may notice it isn't doing this easily. There is enough work the engine is doing AND that is why you hear as a louder thump. Moreover, this is risky for the gears and the crank, since they heavily restrict the torque supplied by the engine to move forward.

Having said that Bullet's are taken to the himalayas and we have seen no bike more reliable and durable than those. Is it that Bulleteers normally go as a team and there are people with the 'know how' to correct small niggles? even if one fails there are others to help! And mostly that Bulleteers never speak of the problems faced touring in a Bull, but more often only project the fact that a Bull rode upto Ladakh!!!

Most other bikes that are sold in the market are reliable than a Bullet. Your guess is right - "Bulleteers normally go as a team and there are people with the 'know how' to correct small niggles". You will not even require to carry half of the spares if you take a P220 to the Himalayas.

***************************

In the end, its what you want. Your heart looks forward to an 40k-plus-old-heavy-crank-20kmph-in-4th-gear-cb-points-approximately-20yr-old-plus-second-hand-cast-iron-having-drum-brakes-with-no-idea-how-many-owners-Bullet. Go ahead and buy one. But when you do get one, don't sell it even though it fries your brains out. Because when you do pick it up, consider it a lemon already. Tackling the problems and niggles will give you more patience. You seem prepared to face a RE head-on by taking one ride on your friends bike.

I'd recommend an Electra (with disc) or the Classic 500. Should be post-2005 too. The plus point of the Classic 500 is that you get the best of the lot. Much better quality, power and parts, not to mention warranty and service periods.

If you are paying anything above 45k, don't bother buying a Standard unless its post 2005.

2009 - You got a new Bullet and then soiled your hands a bit.
2011 - This time it seems you'll dirty your hands first and then ride a Bullet

[navin_v8]

+1 to what Gordon says, I agree instead of buying a CI 350 Standard buy an Electra CI 350 it will be more reliable than a CI Standard 350. BUT as you might know an Electra has no CB point system but is fun to ride, also it wont give you any battery problem.

If you want a combination of reliability with a CI engine then Bullet Electra will suffice your needs. (Plz note I am saying reliability interms of comparing Bullet Standard CI 350 to an Electra CI 350)

Also Electra comes with 5 speed as an option as opposed to 4 speed of a Standard CI 350, add to that the safety of disc brake, chrome mudguards, comfortable front and rear shock absorbers, etc. But Mind You Electra too has its own share of problems but not as much as a Standard CI 350.

If budget and time is not a problem then go for the New UCE models, they are a beauty of a machine sans the so called "Thump" which you can get after installing a short bottle or a Goldstar silencer.

Finally as a fellow bulleteer I would suggest you to buy a Bullet Electra for Reliability or Standard CI 350 for Pleasure. The CHOICE is yours

[ameet_pv]

Hi Sam,

You are hopelessly bitten by the 'Bullet Bug' so get treated for it: Buy a bullet

Same thing goes for the 'Thump', that can be achieved by opting for a older model bike with 'Heavy Crank' or a silencer mod on a later model, ( already elaborated upon ) Choice is yours. either way one can't go wrong.

Reliablity is limited, differs from bike to bike and solely depends on the owner. So if you do get a Bullet be prepared to set aside time to know the bike, find out the sore points to increase the mean time between failures. This will require reliving the previous experience and continue living it.

However I am sure the more you ride the bike & the riding pleasure you will get will make the obsessive attention loving bullet a part of your life.
One thing I will suggest ride the bike minimum thrice this will definitely help you keep her ready for the long rides you are dreaming of.

If things don;t work out it is going to be a heart break anyway.

All the previous posts have given you all that you need. Now the ball is in your court.

Ride Safe
AV

[roshanjathanna]

I m using my CI 350 from past 10 years in Bangalore. I use it for my daily commute to office as well as for long drives. I agree that maintenance is little higher compare to other bikes. But if you know to pin point the problems then chances of getting cheated by mechanics are less or else yes, it is like maintaining one diesel sedan car. If the bike is tuned properly then starting problem wont appear atleast I didnt face. I used lighter crank as well as heavier crank on my bike. It's individual choice. I liked heavier crank but care has to be taken while fixing the crank to crankcase, if it is not aligned properly yes there would be lot of vibration n floating bush of crank pin wont last more than 7K kms

[mohandas]

sorry for OT.

Last week, i met a guy wants to sell his 2002 model bullet electra 4 speed, at Rs 90000.
I was -- given that a brand new costs only Rs 110000. His reply was, THIS IS BULLET...

so what? a 12 year old bike with 40000 kms odo.... does it not got IDV? every vehicle got a depreciation. isnt?

sorry, i have never liked this bullet thingy. what are you getting for that much money? thump, i guess...no technology, no power, no mileage, crappy maintenance.

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by mohandas

sorry for OT.

Last week, i met a guy wants to sell his 2002 model bullet electra 4 speed, at Rs 90000.
I was -- given that a brand new costs only Rs 110000. His reply was, THIS IS BULLET...

so what? a 12 year old bike with 40000 kms odo.... does it not got IDV? every vehicle got a depreciation. isnt?

sorry, i have never liked this bullet thingy. what are you getting for that much money? thump, i guess...no technology, no power, no mileage, crappy maintenance.

I went to my bike mechanic for a minor issue in my bullet. There was this young guy who had just bought a new bullet and drove straight to the mechanic's to give it the retro make over. Meaning short bottle silencer, battery cover, mirrors seat etc. etc. But mainly to bring back the "thump"
He started his bike and seemed pleased with the new sound....

But then there was this old looking 1990 model Enfield, with a middle aged guy with graying hair and cheap aviators. .. He kicked his bike to life and that sweet "thump" .

Poor young guy with the new bike... I saw him turn around immediately at the sweet sound.... And saw his shoulders shrink down a little... As the older rider left, he started his bike again and seemed a little disappointed...



Don't underestimate the power of the thump!

Rebuilt Enfields with the older engine are regularly sold 80-85k around my place..

[Ananth_shukti]

I had similar experiences initially with my 2009 STD CI bullet. Not starting quickly, B'lore traffic etc. Got lot of useful tip from Team BHpians & friends who owns bullet, now I have got connected with my bullet.
I take it out of garage some times after 1 1/2 months. ( during my onsite visit it was parked in garage for 13 months with very limited maintenance).

All you need to do is to Kick without ignition keys for about 15 kicks , put on the Choke & give a full kick.

I feel one should buy bullet after longing for it & it should be owned after a long dream. I see lot of people who buy it & try to love it fail to do so..!!

Ananth
Mysore