[sam_sant2005]

Hi All,

It was all an instinctive decision that I sold my 5 yr old P150 DTSi and took a 'new' Std 350 Bull in March 2009 out of my sudden eagerness for a 'thumper'. But I was too immature a Bulleteer PLUS a very very bad quality bike delivered to me meant that I sold the new Bull in just 3 months time despite falling in love with it for the thumping and ride.


In 3 months, unfortunately for me I had more negatives out of that new Bull than positives!

Basic issues I faced with the new Bull:-
1) Recurring fuel leak.

2) Battery getting drained out in night traffic. Checked everything incl charging, battery everything but couldnt figure out. People said bullet were like that!

3) Acc cable broke, Clutch cable broke.

4) horn fell off!

5) Severe starting trouble after first service. Fully dressed up for office, every morning I used to ‘sweat’ a lot to bring her to life. Very very late did I realise it was all because of a bad service center. Took it to a Bullet 'master' and he did the magic tuning for me. But then it was far too late. I had almost hated the bike.

FORE MORE DETAILS REFER TO MY OLD THREAD WHEN I BOUGHT THE BULL in 2009 http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...t-350-std.html

I was basically using the Bull for a daily commute. In fact had to come home for lunch too amidst traffic which was close to impossible in that Bull.

WHAT I LEARNED:-
1) Bullet is not a daily commute bike. Atleast not in heavy traffic. Now that I used my Swift D, a Bull would mean occasional rides and that would be a perfect combination!

2) Bullets need love and care. Which I never had during March to June 2009! I was so used to the Pulsars and 100cc bikes that the little niggles I just couldn't tolerate. That is when I sold off my newly bought CI 350 and exchanged it for a new P220 DTSi.

3) CI Bullet is a mechanical sort of bike with the kind of parts associated with it . That itself makes it so unique. But the important part is that as a Bulleteer one needs to have the basic know how of the tuning and small small adjustments required to run her ‘reliably’ or you would land up on a roadside ‘kicking’ the hell out of yourself!

4) I took P220 DTSi after getting screwed up with the Bull. But it also meant that I was the fastest Indian! But very soon I realized that the ‘fastest indians’ don’t hold their peaks for long. Now that we already have the Ninja and CBR and HD and what not! More and more killer bike’s at ‘reachable’ prices. So which ever super sports bike you buy will loose its charm too soon. To me there’s nothing quite like a STD CI Bull. It will stand tall even alongside a HD! And in Blore of what I have seen, Bullet means business!

5) BECAUSE Bullet is a Bullet!!!

Whatever on earth you give me now, I KNOW THERES NOTHING MORE AMAAAAAAZING THAN RIDING A CI BULL.

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

And exactly after 2 yrs, now I am eyeing a 1982 Regd CI 350. It is mentioned 'Ex-Army' in the RC. So does that mean its manufacturing date is much prior to the 'civil' Regd date of 1982? MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IS WHETHER IT IS AN ORIGINAL BRITISH ROYAL ENFIELD 350 CI ????

If things go well she could be mine for under 40k's. The condition is not too good but I thought these days Bull's don't go cheap :(

I plan to take it for 35 to 40k's and do some serious mods and restore it completely to stock. Budget of 20-25k for mods. Will that suffice? The bike is in Kerala now. So should I bring it to Blore and do all the work or get it done from some 'known' place in and around my home town in Kerala.

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

Please advice guys.

Sam
Blore.

[drrajasaravanan]

Hi
Your previous thread ended abrouptly. I thought you had sorted out your problem and having fun with your bull. What happened. I dont own a bullet as of now but having booked one my two cents is, Cast iron would require more care and handling then the present bullets and the reliability would be in question for long rides. Anyway you have a super mechanic so if you can find something authentic you should go for it. Cheers

[desideep]

NO i am sure this would not be a original or even a non original British bike this would be a indian built around 1975 bike.
you can go for it but i would suggest you to find a Electra from 2002 to 2004 you would get them for almost the same price that you are ready to pay.

Thanks
DesiDeep

[sam_sant2005]

Originally Posted by drrajasaravanan

Hi
Your previous thread ended abrouptly. I thought you had sorted out your problem and having fun with your bull. What happened. I dont own a bullet as of now but having booked one my two cents is, Cast iron would require more care and handling then the present bullets and the reliability would be in question for long rides. Anyway you have a super mechanic so if you can find something authentic you should go for it. Cheers

No dude I sold it out of frustration just after 3 months and 2500kms. In fact I was so pissed off with the niggles. Also it was the time when P220 DTSi was getting launched, so I got a terrific exchange price for my Bull. So I went for it. And since then crying :( missing my Bull.

Originally Posted by desideep

NO i am sure this would not be a original or even a non original British bike this would be a indian built around 1975 bike.
you can go for it but i would suggest you to find a Electra from 2002 to 2004 you would get them for almost the same price that you are ready to pay.

Thanks
DesiDeep

I dint get you clearly yaar. Can you clarify what you meant by the comment on the make and model. IMHO prior to 1964 was British make isn't it? Isn't there a possibility of a 1982 'ex-army' to be British? I have riden this bike and it has a real heavy crank! I loved it.
About your suggestion on Electra - Did you mean 4-speed Electra? Basically Iam looking at only the 'right' geared Bull only. Moreso Electra never seemed to impress me. I agree that the electricals are better and hence lesser niggles but my heart is for CI. The 'thumping' and 'low speed' thumping is quite a dream for the CI.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

Should I go for this?

Simple DON'T.

The CI Bullets are prehistoric technology. In this age and time when you have better options, banging your head on an awfully engineered product is stupid.

I understand heart and all that jazz but for the reasons you sold off your new bike the same reasons will come back to haunt you.

Been there done that. Not worth it.

My history was the other way round. Got a used first and then a new one. Both failed miserably.

The only positive, I now know CI Bullets inside out and can make out a bad one from a hopeless one.

PS: If its the "bullet thing" bug then I didn't catch it ever. If you have it, it's supposed to give you superhuman powers to overlook the bad and call the bike the best gift to humanity.. EVER!!

[am1m]

Haha, love the way Spitfire puts it. I have a 2007 Thunderbird and my story was the reverse. I was never a "Bullet" fan, in fact I disliked the old bikes my friends had in college. But when the time came to scout around for a new bike that I could do long distances on, and in some degree of comfort, I could find only the Bullet. Since then, my AVL-engined Thunderbird has taken me everywhere, and now I confess, I too have a bit of the "bullet-bug". Still, I'd never use her as a daily ride and the "bug" hasn't bitten me that badly that I'd even consider a second-hand CI Bullet.

[kd7202]

You sold a 3 month old "new" Bullet ? You should have had a little more patience with it. Bullets are prone to problems like the ones you have described.

Now that the CI Bullets have been discontinued, these bikes are commanding unheard of prices in the used bike market. There's a mech near my office who has 11 army disposal bikes in the worst possible zilch condition you can think of and he's quoting 70k, as is where is. Mind you, that's per bike. Not for all of them !!

I have a July 2007 model Electra 5 speed / electric start and its my daily commute and I use it for long rides as well. No problems except for the clutch cable snapping a couple of times. Its done 63,000 kms and is on its second set of tyres and second battery. I had a puncture in Jan 2010 and my accelerator cable broke in Feb 2011.

I would suggest buying a bike in Bangalore rather than getting one from Kerala. You can get good Bullets for around 50k / 60 k right here.

[int3]

I would suggest staying away from CI bullets unless you are very enthusiastic to own one and have patience to deal with the niggles. I have driven with my friends who own CI bullets and some of them have a love-hat relationship with their bullets just because of those niggles.
If you are getting AVL or UCE bullets, you can always opt for a GoldStar silencer for the "thumping".

[sam_sant2005]

@am1m thanks for the comment.

@Spitfire: u talk sense mate. But yeh for me too the short episode with the Bull has taught a number of lessons, bad lessons. But please note that those days a bike was my daily commute mode. But now I have completely shifted to a diesel car. So the 'faulty' or 'unreliable' next Bull will only be used for an occassional pleasure ride. I already have a P220 as a bike but its been unused for long. I don't feel eager enough to take it out actually. But from the past BUll experience one thing is that I LOVED RIDING IT. I did 2500kms in less than 3 months and let me tell you, half of that was totally needless riding! I mean just for the pleasure of riding I made some trips!!! I just loved it. I did NOT get the same thrill with an Electra or a Thunderbird or for that matter the new 'Classic' too.

@kd7202: Yes I should have had a little more patience. But then as i mentioned in the start of this thread I was an immature Bulleteer. I expected too much from her!!! and reading the above comment for spitfire you can clearly see that I hope to keep this as a kind of a 'vintage' bike for occassional 'thumping' And about buying a Bull from Blore, yeh Iam open to it. But see the one Iam currently looking at is a Bull which made me a Bullet fan in 2009. I rode this one from that friend of mine and instantly became a fan! So its like getting my 'real' dream.

[rrahul_2778]

@Sam, the bull has its share of niggles but I don't think any other commuter bike can pull your heart strings like the Bull does. Maybe the only other bikes which can do it for me would be the sports bikes and harleys.

My bull is my everyday ride and she rides beautifully, no issues what so ever. I also second DesiDeep, if you want a CI, get a used electra (preferably the relatively newer ones, say post 2005-2006)

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Simple DON'T.
I understand heart and all that jazz but for the reasons you sold off your new bike the same reasons will come back to haunt you.

PS: If its the "bullet thing" bug then I didn't catch it ever. If you have it, it's supposed to give you superhuman powers to overlook the bad and call the bike the best gift to humanity.. EVER!!

LOL...the bull ain't so bad buddy. It has its own share of flaws which we bulleteers like to call 'character' . But I guess to each his own.

[kd7202]

+ 1 to that. The older Bullets are a difficult proposition although there are plenty of people who swear by them, also some who swear at them. But nobody would want to part with their bikes. The older Bullets can break your ankle if you're not careful when kick starting it.

Buy a post 2005 Electra 4S and you'll be happy, believe me. The Bullet, old or new, is an excellent commuter bike. What with the parking problems, road digging, Metro construction, etc., in Bangalore, your Swift may well become a week end vehicle.

Cheers

KD

[sudev]

Decide. Mind or heart.
Mind is logic - forget it.
Heart is thumping the tune - get it.

Once bitten with Bullet bug you are never cured. This is coming from some one who last owned a Bullet in 1985. Sold the piece as it was rusting away. Then every few year the itch starts. Have resisted it till date. However one of my bucket list items is a long distance travel - Leh ?? - on a Bullet. ;-)

[sam_sant2005]

OMG how can people change. I was all set to get that 1982 Bull from this guy in Kerala for around 35k (bad condition one). I thought of modifiying and doing all the repairs after buying in that condition for the price. Looked good to me.
It seems like 'someone' has come in between. Now he says he has already dismantled the Bull and can sell only AFTER the modifications and that too at 65k !!! Late realization of his value for an old Bull, but bad for me though. :(

So ok now I think I should shift my focus to 'Bullet Bangalore'. As some say 4S Electra might be the best buy for me.

So guys can you gimme some inputs on Electra plz :-
1) Does Electra have any 'crank weight'? Can it be added atleast? I intend to do 20kmph in top gear and lug her for that 'beat'!

2) How good is the thumping when compared to the Std Bull?

3) Electra has electronic ignition rite as compared to the 'Contact breaker point' in Std? What are the plus points of that? Does that mean no tuning and lesser maintenance? Also water seepage problems wont be there in Electra?

4) When did 4S Electra stop?

5) Does 4 S Electra have the front telescopic suspension ?

Thanks in Advance.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

So guys can you gimme some inputs on Electra plz :-
1) Does Electra have any 'crank weight'? Can it be added atleast? I intend to do 20kmph in top gear and lug her for that 'beat'!

What for? No wonder you had issues with your new Bullet earlier. That is basically ruining the engine, gearbox and other components.

And pardon me but these are wannabe look-at-me Bullet owner's first want. Note: I don't say bullet rider I say Bullet owner . A rider would never do that.

With the helmet, a good one you would probably not hear it anyways. So if it is for the cool dude stakes you can connect a free flow and enjoy the whole neighborhood watching you ride a "Bullet".

2) How good is the thumping when compared to the Std Bull?

So you want a Bullet for the thump?

3) Electra has electronic ignition rite as compared to the 'Contact breaker point' in Std? What are the plus points of that? Does that mean no tuning and lesser maintenance? Also water seepage problems wont be there in Electra?

Answered elsewhere in the forum. But yes. Less maintenance is a very relative term when it comes to Bullets. So compared to bikes from other stables it is not. When compared to other bullets its much better. So there.

As a side note on the above, they are still struggling with the EFI model and going carb. That's a step backwards in today's world.

4) When did 4S Electra stop?

I guess it was around till the CI engine was available.

5) Does 4 S Electra have the front telescopic suspension ?

All Bullets have telescopic front suspensions.

Hope that helps.

[sam_sant2005]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

What for? No wonder you had issues with your new Bullet earlier. That is basically ruining the engine, gearbox and other components.

And pardon me but these are wannabe look-at-me Bullet owner's first want. Note: I don't say bullet rider I say Bullet owner . A rider would never do that.

With the helmet, a good one you would probably not hear it anyways. So if it is for the cool dude stakes you can connect a free flow and enjoy the whole neighborhood watching you ride a "Bullet".

Ok I understand. But the British bulls are known for slow speed driving and their engines have held strong! That was just a curiosity.

So you want a Bullet for the thump?

As a speed freak driving P220 at 140kmph and Swift D over 160kmph, if Iam going for a 'no speed' Bull, it should be for something special in it. And to me, that is 'thumping'.

All Bullets have telescopic front suspensions.

About the 'telescopic' thing. I donno if thats the right term. The Std bullet has a different front suspension that a newer Electra. If you say it might be just a covering, still the newer Electra is miles ahead on comfort as far as I have experienced. Even adding rear gas shocks dont do much good in Std Bull. Once I have seen an Electra just kind of 'swings and balances' over the front and back shocks. It was amazing to me. But I found that after I bought that Std Bull in 2009.

Thanks for response spitfire, it is definitely helping me move towards taking a wiser decision.