1400 km update
Nothing new to report. The mileage hovers around the 10 kmpl mark. Last couple of fills slightly lower though (9-10). Have stretched her legs to 120 kmph a few times. Otherwise keeping her between 100-110. Which in 5th gear is a very lazy 2100-2200 rpm. I think I've gotten the hang of pulling this monster in term of playing the torque band and the pull in each of the gears. So mch so that now when I jmp into my Baleno i tend to rev more in the lower gears than before and often find myself in the 2nd gear where before I would be in 3rd and so on. But the flip side is that Beastie has made me love Snow White even more. Now when I jump into her some nights just to take her for a rip in and around the city, I absolutely revel in the way I can play the gears and pull to higher rpm's and throw her around the corners with her stuck to the ground and knowing that she will not wander or do the by now customary mid-corner lateral "dip" of the Storme. Ok this is the Storme ownership thread, but just wanted to share the fun I have been having with the old lady as well.
Took Beastie with my kids on to Nagar road last night. Realized what I have been missing out by concentrating my running in runs on the by comparison boring straight NH4 Lonavala-Khopoli and Khambatki-Wai runs. This road tests the handling and high speed cornering of the Storme much better, the road surface is much better, fantastic guard rails and reflective markings and white road markings, and the corners are so much better banked. I was pretty confident of taking most of the sweeping curves at 100-110 with the Storme pretty nicely planted with good feedback through the steering and the tyres. From what I remember of driving the Dicor, the lateral swaying "dip" on such curves would come much more and much earlier, and the Storme really feels "tighter" in comparison.
The engine and gearbox have really smothened out now. The shifts are a pleasure. I still feel 2nd gear is too short (won't comment on the 1st because I shift up by around 20-30 - just past the doors auto locking). In 2nd I feel there is meat and the truck has just started moving but then I see the rpm needle swingling past 2500 towards 3000 rpm and I reluctantly shift up (around 50 kmph at the time).
3rd all the way past 70, 4th all the way past 90, like before. 3rd still feels better than 2nd. Both in terms of being longer as well in terms of response from low rpm's. Do you think the relative lack of "move" in 2nd (in spite of the revs rising) could be something to do with the clutch, or it it normal? In 5th, 110-120 feels like its not really in the band (not lugging, but the feel you get when you are short of the meaty part of the band) but running in guidlelines are being strictly adhered to.
No new squeaks or rattles. The overhead rear A/c makes these intermittent "whooshing" sounds which I can hear just above and behind and to the right while driving at night with the rear A/c on. Some smell does get into the cabin even in re-circulate mode (especially when following 2-stroke blue smoke belching autos). The right side driver window glass still squeaks and is o my to be checked list (which is not very long thankfully). All doors by the Grace of Safari God are rattle free and close perfetly. As does glove box.
On the issue being discussed some time earlier by someone about stock tyres and fishtailing, based on some recent experiences on the Bangalore highway as well as rumblers inside the city, if you go over them at speed, the rear does go "light" and fishtail ever so slightly (I think to the right?). But nothing unmanageable. Is it a tyre fault though? I think it is more to do with suspension set up and damping rates based on my experience with bikes.
The brakes seem to have lost some of their earlier immediate bite. As in terms of the response compared to how much your right foot moves. I find my right foot depressing more than before to get the same response. But so early? I recall someone mentioning changing of pads in warranty due to pre-mature wear, but not at les than 1500 kms surely? The forward creep downwards on applying the handbrake is also on my to be looked into list. You have to really pull the lever to keep the juggernaut stationary. Not a nice feeling when putting yourself as the meat in a sandwich between 2.5 tons of steel on wheels on an incline sloping downward towards you, and a locked heavy metal gate on the other side!
Last point I wanted to ask the guys here. Is the 60 seconds thing at start and before stop supposed to be done every time you start and stop? I mean I do it on my morning commute to office. I do it on my evening commute back as well. But while in office, if I have to go to another building, or go out for a quick bite at lunch, or go in to hand over my keys at security before heading home, is this still needed. I am asking because I am doing this every time, and its really a pain when the idling time in toto (1 minute before start and 1 minute before stop) is more than the actual drive time involved!
Sorry for some prety newbie questions! All in all, loving Beastie and enjoying my trucking.