[dkaile]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Dhiraj, keeping with the mood of the times, someone is going to file a PIL against your friend for having a tricolor buff against his nose and mouth.

That's hilarious . Anyways its an official sponsored product afaik and I don't see any disrespect to our national flag anywhere.

[abhimanyu_singh]

Originally Posted by SDRam

@abhimanyu_singh - Tusker people say I might get it by november end. I really don't know. Will be sure only after it has landed!!

Thats cool, but when did you book it? I booked it in June and still I'll be getting it by Jan, thats too long IMO.

[sreejith.j]

Dhiraj sir, sorry to go off-topic. Could you please tell me the mods that your friend has done to street bob ?

She looks amazing. I guess there a fatter tire in the front ? Do you have more info available ?

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by sreejith.j

Could you please tell me the mods that your friend has done to street bob ?

She looks amazing. I guess there a fatter tire in the front ? Do you have more info available ?

I was surprised to hear that you were satisfied with your Street Bob's ride. In stock condition it, well, BOBS, Lolz, and will strain your arm muscles on long rides. I suppose well that's what it is supposed to do. Well, he has done a thicker rear tyre, thicker and higher profile front tyre (some Made in England make), blacked out front forks, straight handle bar and Fat Boy's headlight. Those are the major ones. That has made the bike so much more comfortable for touring. Otherwise on rough Indian roads you will face the issue of the spoke rims being consistently bent (a common issue with the Street Bob with those skinny front tyres). Some non performance mods have also been done (those orange parts you see, for which he is consistently teased by me) and some footpegs, rear lights, side plates, derby covers etc.. Now it rolls over all the potholed roads that we ride on like a road roller but at 140+ speeds. Let me know if you need any more detailed information about the upgrades.

[sreejith.j]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I was surprised to hear that you were satisfied with your Street Bob's ride. In stock condition it, well, BOBS and will strain your arm muscles on long rides. Lolz. I suppose well that's what it is supposed to do. Well, he has done a thicker rear tyre, thicker and higher profile front tyre (some Made in England make), blacked out front forks, straight handle bar and Fat Boy's headlight. Those are the major ones. That has the bike so much more comfortable for touring. Otherwise on rough Indian roads you will face the issue of the spoke rims being bent (a common issue with the Street Bob with those skinny front tyres). Some non performance mods have also been done (those orange parts you see, for which he is consistently teased by me) and some footpegs, rear lights etc.. Now it rolls over all the potholed roads that we ride on like a road roller but at 140+ speeds. Let me know if you need any more detailed information about the upgrades.

Satisfied with the seating position mainly. . But yes I have a long way to go to make it more comfortable. Need to upgrade the alloys also, but the ones from HD are prohibitively expensive.

Did he change the forks also to get a better clearance for the fatter tyre ?

Oh yes, It did tire my arms on a ride of 200 KMS. I have only done about 350 KMS till now. Once i clock more KMS probably will also look at a handlebar replacement.

If I get an alloy would it possible to put in a fatter tire ? The dealership said its not ! But with an alloy it shouldn't be a problem right ?

Also, which parts had to be fabricated ?

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by sreejith.j

Did he change the forks also to get a better clearance for the fatter tyre ?

Nope, forks and even the hub is stock so as to not mess the front brakes and ABS. Some parts had to be fabricated to fit the new rim and front tyre.

[Turbanator]

I was surprised to hear that you were satisfied with your Street Bob's ride. In stock condition it, well, BOBS, Lolz, and will strain your arm muscles on long rides

But yes I have a long way to go to make it more comfortable. Need to upgrade the alloys also, but the ones from HD are prohibitively expensive.

that makes a strong case for Thunderbird Storm

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

that makes a strong case for Thunderbird Storm

Every bike and biker has different priorities based on their likings, shape and size. No one bike suits all. Thunderbird Storm is a great bike. But you give it to me and I will tell you ten changes I would like to make to it. It's more comparable to the Fat Bob from the Harley fold. I would like to leave it at that.

[Turbanator]

Every bike and biker has different priorities based on their likings, shape and size. No one bike suits all

Oh Yes , nothing fits all

It's more comparable to the Fat Bob from the Harley fold

I am somehow more comfortable with Ape handles on my sportster but its little difficult to change these on Fat Bob besides I find rear setup on Bob not to my liking . My first choice was to buy Street Bob have forward controls , add bit of chrome but after a recent test drive of Storm and with all these changes by your friend , I am looking more towards Triumph .

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by sreejith.j

If I get an alloy would it possible to put in a fatter tire ? The dealership said its not ! But with an alloy it shouldn't be a problem right ?

Also, which parts had to be fabricated ?

Well he searched for some after market alloys for long. Couldn't zero in on a decent bunch, so this spoked alternative. He has already done the drag bars with risers from JP Cycles, Rear Tyre upgrade (got it at a bargain), Front Wheel Upgrade to Avon 5x16 Vintage, Side mount number plate, 7" Fatboy headlight (also got a bargain from somebody selling it off), Footboards, 1.5" handgrips, Screamin Eagles Backslash exhausts with Big City Thunder Baffles (his whole bike has changed after that; its the best sounding bike around), rear seat pad, sissy bar, performance air filter. Total cost of the recent front tyre upgrade is around 35K including wheel, Avon tyre and the some parts fabricated by the detailer to attach the original hub to the wheel.

Though the Thunderbird is a great machine standalone, its complications will be felt after usage for some time and even then it won't reach the potential that this Bobber has reached with a 1600cc engine at its core. And I have heard some insider news which makes me apprehensive about Triumph's commitment to India in the long run. Will a Triumph ever trump a Harley in the overall ownership experience in my books?? Naaa... It's a alternative, yes, for people hell bent on not going the Harley way. I have see their owners having buyers remorse, sooner or later, though some may never be that honest.

[Turbanator]

And I have heard some insider news which makes me apprehensive about Triumph's commitment to India in the long run. Will a Triumph ever trump a Harley in the overall ownership experience in my books?? Naaa...

That's interesting , of-course Triumph will not have deep pockets like Harley but I have seen BMW dealers taking dealership for Triumph in North & these are wise men with resources better than any of us to foresee such issues . They won't like to risk investments and more importantly their repetitive clients .

It's a alternative, yes, for people hell bent on not going the Harley way. I have see their owners having buyers remorse, sooner or later, though some may never be that honest

It can be correct vice versa as well !! I picked my CBU Sportster from first batch that Harley Dealers sold in India and my comments on Storm are as a Harley Owner for as long they have being in India .

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by dkaile

And I have heard some insider news which makes me apprehensive about Triumph's commitment to India in the long run.

Can you elaborate on what you mean/understood from that ? If it's something you don't want to disclose in the open, a PM perhaps?

[SDRam]

Originally Posted by abhimanyu_singh

Thats cool, but when did you book it?

I too have booked in June '14.

@dkaile, the photograph of the modded bob is superb, stunningly beautiful. Looks like taken straight off a brochure or some thing like that. Hats off for the owner and the photographer. Really makes us drool to own and mod one. Can the secret be revealed on how to take such shots?
Actually I was tempted to go for street bob myself but the handle style and spoked wheels put me off (and also i searched on the net for alloys but did not get satisfactory answers - Maybe I wasn't searching correctly). And also by the fact that this is a bigger bike so thought I can go for it next time! But Ideally I would go for a Fat Boy. Like it very much.

[dkaile]

A short and sweet weekend ride was done on Independence Day weekend to Rishikesh and this was what happened on the night we reached there...



Yup, a cloud burst right at Rishikesh killed nearly 30 people in Uttarakhand. Providence saved us and we completed the trip safely. So 9 bikes in all (8 Harleys and 1 Kawasaki) set out for the 400km return trip. This was a pillion ride with partners and children. 1 Tempo Traveller accompanied us for the non-riders and the luggage.



The Superlow was decked with National colours and Indianised. Jai Hind.


All of us rode. My wife, daughter and son rode pillion by rotation...






The roads were fantastic for most parts. We took the more scenic Bijnor route till Haridwar. We were planning the Chilla route but came to know that was flooded just before Rishikesh. That was a fantastic route that passes through Rajaji National Park. We managed some portions of it though even on the Najibabad-Haridwar stretch.







Unfortunately we had our first experience with a puncture on a ride on a Low. The rear tyre had a fig fat screw embedded firmly. And as it was a 'Low' it came with spoked wheels and a tube inside the rear tyre (not tubeless). We initially filled some air by a portable inflator and managed some kms but finally had to take the plunge to get the tube repaired.


3 or 4 puncture "wallahs' refused flatly quoting that they could not handle this bike. Finally one man had enough guts to proceed


He used truck tyre removal gear. The bike was perched on a wooden black as it lacks a centre stand so that the rear tyre could rotate freely. Finally after some effort the tube was out and repaired with a patch promptly. It was a huge 3" screw that did the damage. Total repair cost? 200 bucks!! and he was happy. The 'stealers' at Harley charge 6-8k for a puncture replacement as they replace the tube and don't repair it. What a racket! Anyways all's well that ends well.

We were soaked to the bone by the time we reached Rishikesh as we encountered nearly a cloud burst between Haridwar and Rishikesh. But we managed to reach pour hotel safely. Our group -


The Ganges was in a angry muddy mood


But we kept on riding


The final trip meter read 390 kms


With the bike nearing the 5k mark


Got the bike back in stock condition and removed the pillion and the fabricated sissy bar


Never once did the bike bottom out or gave me the feeling that it was too low for our Indian roads and that too with a pillion throughout on my 400km journey. Gave a fantastic ride even on some worst patches. The love affair with this capable 'baby' Harley deepens. Gave a fantastic fuel efficiency of 20.5kmpl on the entire trip (with a pillion). Speeds in high 140s were breached on the mostly good patches. The bike had fantastic stability in heavy downpour conditions and cornered brilliantly. I was pleasantly surprised by this new found capability of driving in the rain.

Cheers for now.

[SDRam]

Sorry to hear that disaster.
Congrats on a safe ride and back. Good pics.
@dkaile ji. Have you raised the GC by any means? Can you elaborate on on the mods done to your bike and the bob also in detail. Can you also give the sources and probable costings for the same? Will help a lot of people waiting on the fence to jump in.
Can we increase the size of the rubber on the superlow? and how far can we go?