Biking is all about self rejuvenation, reclamation and what not; atleast that is what it is in my mind. You ride a bike to soothen your soul, not to look cool or showoff

BHPian saikishor recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I'm not starting this thread because of some superbike crash that took place recently, this question kinda ponders in my mind looking at the influencers that exist in today's social media pages.

What is biking? What do motorcyclists do? Who are motorcyclists? The one person who I feel is apt for a passionate motorcyclist is Mr.Subhabrata Marmar aka Shumi from Motorinc. I stumbled upon his new channel very recently and have been hooked since. The way he explains and displays stuff makes his intention clear. I mean, you can tell that man was born for motorcycles. That kind of passion is what makes someone a true biker or a true motorcyclist. Another name I can recall is Zohair Ahmed but now he has moved to cars and no longer does motorcycle content.

So yes coming back to what is biking and who are bikers? In my opinion, bikers are people who are passionate about riding and their bike ONLY. Bikers don't and shouldn't care about stuff which is not related to bikes. Those were the things which I associate to bikes.

Now if I know what biking is, then why am I starting this thread? Well as a young guy, who loves his bike to the core and goes nuts whenever he parks it and looks back at it, I feel the biking culture is being diluted and the terms biking and biking culture themselves are being diluted. These so called influencers are conveying wrong stuff to the younger gen like me. I mean, biking in India has become more of a show off kind of thing nowadays. Biker meets are all about showing off your expensive bike with its triple expensive accesories, photos, videos and what not. Photos is still fine but showoff IMO is not fine. These showoff guys are conveying the wrong image to the younger gen.

See I'll take my example. I am 20 years old, currently in my engineering 2nd year. Buying a bike and going on good rides was a dream since I was 13. I finally got my first bike when I was 19. My dad paid for it, and he pays for my petrol, maintenance, gear etc etc. All is good till here. I know my limits mentally and financially, so I do what ever is feasible for me(gear purchases, rides etc). So now what happens when a guy like me wants to buy a bike for himself or lets say has a bike with him already, but now he watches some influencers video, gets hooked and wants the same expensive stuff on his bike too? If he's someone like me who relies on his parents for his stuff, won't his parents feel pressurised? Is this how biking culture is meant to be? Absolutely not. Biking is all about self rejuvenation, reclamation and what not; atleast that is what it is in my mind. You ride a bike to soothen your soul, not to look cool or showoff whatever you have to people who dont give a rat's ass about bikes.

Another example I have in my mind are biking groups. I am a kinda silent member of 2 biking groups. I joined one in January, and the second one quite recently like 2 weeks ago. Situation is the same in those groups also; there is a lot of spam instead of actual bike talks. I might get kicked out after someone reads this from the group but it is what it is. I feel like exiting them, lets see I will if I find it pointless in being there.

Sorry if my post went too long but all I want to say is, biking culture is a literal joke in India at this point. I mean, look at content creators like Fortnine, Motorinc etc and look at other chapri content creators (no offense).

And lets not talk about guys who started with motorcycles as their thing but now do home tours, babysitting videos and what not.

I would like to hear others views and see if there is a possibility of changing this to a small extent atleast.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

All I can say is:

• We should stop being purists.
• We should stop being elitist, even indirectly.

To me, anyone who loves to ride is a biker. Whether it's Manson on his 954RR, or the banking clerk who enjoys his Splendor. Axe77 on his Triumph, or a student on an Activa. I reiterate, anyone who loves to ride is a biker.

I follow a similar philosophy in the 4-wheeled world. In fact, this thread was my idea. This one was my idea too.

Me, Aditya, Omkar & gang are as much of car guys as anyone on the planet. We drive 50 cars every year between the three of us. From economy hatchbacks to deadly-fast EVs to 8-cylinder mean machines. Yet, if you see our real-life experiences & comments on those threads, we also enjoy driving Corollas & Hectors.

Anyone who loves to drive is a car guy, IMHO.

Here's what BHPian am1m had to say on the matter:

Boss, we were having these exact same conversations 25 years ago in engineering college! And I'm sure 25 years before that, people at that age would have been having similar conversations.

So it's nothing new and not limited to bikes. It's about the age you are at and trying to find your identity. It's the basic human need to find a 'tribe' and prove (mainly to themselves) that their 'tribe' is 'better'. It's the same sentiment/urge that allows politicians to manipulate people based on nationality, and makes us so suceptible to marketing and advertising through pop-culture, whether it's Royal Enfield, Justin Bieber, Live free XUV, etc etc.

Do what works for you. If you like riding alone, go for it, if groups work for you, go for it. Just be wary about people trying to sell you a product, packaged in emotion. All the brands do it. And now even people have become personal brands.

Spend more time on the bike than off it, and you'll be just fine.

Here's what BHPuan bf1983 had to say on the matter:

Biking culture is being diluted no doubt about it but you still get a good number of bikers who love biking for the sake of biking.

Just last week I went for a bike ride and our group consisted of two Ninjas, two KTM 390 ADVs and two retro bikes (an old Bullet 500 and a Honda CB350). So we had a great mix of bikes and nobody was trying to show off. Whoever would go ahead would stop and let everyone catch up before traffic dispersed us again. This is not something new and we see such groups all over Mumbai. So biking culture is still very much alive and we shouldn't let these chapris who call themselves Youtubers dictate their version of biking culture.

Here's what BHPian Ironhide had to say on the matter:

Sai,

What you have brought out is genuine and from the heart. Motorcycling was all about exploring new places, taking in the sights and sounds and feeling the wind in your hair. Instead, what it has turned into is a kind of Social Media oneupmanship in colourful filters.

Your observations about Fort9 & Shubhabrata Marmar are spot on. They are genuine motorcyclists and their content is well researched, engaging, entertaining and carries the weight of experience. Another guy with similar content for travel goes by the name of Toll free traveller. His travelogues on a Thunderbird earlier and now on an X-Pulse are a delight to watch. Why go too far, in our own forum we have riderzone who writes beautifully and passionately about all things motorcycle. Even Dileep Menezes, another BHPian writes beautifully about his explorations - on a Xpulse (though he has a Tiger too). There are motorcyclists of all hues on our forum itself - from the likes of Ashvinprakas who used to do interstate trips on his eminently capable CT-100B and is a DIY enthusiast when it comes to motorcycles, to aargee & vijayanand who are veritable authorities on CBR 250R to the indefatigable rb2399 who munches miles for breakfast, lunch and dinner on his V-Strom.

So don't let all the made-up, and phoney balderdash that passes for biking culture on social media bother you and keep you from doing what you love - motorcycling. Ride safe, travel, explore, and enjoy the sun on your face and the wind in your hair.

Happy Motorcycling!

Cheers!

Here's what BHPian SoumenD had to say on the matter:

Was an avid 2-wheeler tourer back in 2007-2011(did some 22k kms across India) when social media wasn’t as influential yet. Yes we had forums like xBhp(been more than a decade I last logged in) where I learnt about safety gears(still have my DSG mesh jacket somewhere) & long distance touring. But by 2010/11 itself this show-off thingy had started and I remember discussing these same things that you mentioned.

Personally I feel if someone is getting influenced by wrong folks(again what’s wrong for me might be right for someone else), there’s very little we can do. An adult is expected to choose his own poison judiciously. I don’t care about the social media influenzas doing their thing. Its a free country, people can do whatever they like, follow whoever they want to.

For me motor-biking is a very personal thing which is liberating. Still see it that way and hope to get back to it soon.

Here's what BHPian R-Six had to say on the matter:

I echo with GTO's sentiments! Everyone who ride a bike is a biker!

And in India, biking culture doesn't necessarily always mean, the breakfast rides or the most coveted ride up to the Great Himalayas! It is also about the milkman, a regular 9-5 Joe who couldn't yet afford a 4 wheeler, or that middle-class family man who manages to accommodate his entire family on the splendor so that he doesn't have to shell out extra for a taxi. Its about those too. They have their own stories as well!

Bike culture for a little kid could even mean, that fun joy ride within the society before his/her dad goes to work in the morning.

So lets not try to narrow down the biking culture to just those long rides, instagram worthy pictures and reels or the youtube videos. Its much more than that for a country like us.

But we do hear your concerns though. All the motovlog culture and the easy accessibility to the electronic devices have made it looks like biking is all about the fancy rides to beautiful locations. Lets accept it, it is there on the internet because there are people who are ready to consume such content. They offer what sells, And if we look at it that way, whom should be blamed in the first place?

And the above quote sums up what biking brotherhood is all about! You get to meet strangers on your rides and who knows, he is going to be your riding partner for longer than you imagine!

Anyway, I see you are quite young. Still trying to find out where you fit in. Take your time, go for joy rides with your riding groups, no harm in that. You may ride solo too. Sooner or later you will figure out what sort of rider are you. And that is how you'll begin your biker journey!

Until then, ride safe and yes, keep riding!

Best,

R-Six

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This bike has an awesome exhaust note and it just changes the whole motorcycling experience.

BHPian bpapache recently shred this with other enthusiasts.

I own a TVS RTR 200 BS3 Carburettor version. 2016 make.

I have clocked ~50000 Kms as of today. And it still continues to put a smile on my face every time I take it out.

My previous ride was Honda Unicorn Dazzler (2011-2016) and I had clocked ~55000 Kms on it.

I will share my experience below based on my ownership and motorcycling experience.

The RTR 200 is a very well engineered bike and of high quality. I have done plenty of touring, commutes and have taken it to the MMRT track as well.

Pros of RTR 200:

• Amazing power delivery up to 7500 RPM.
• Eargasm! This bike has an awesome exhaust note and it just changes the whole motorcycling experience.
• Affordable, easy to maintain and good quality in general.
• This bike is a looker for me.
• You can do corner carving all day long on this bike. Its riding dynamics are pretty good for city as well as track. A perfect blend for an all rounder.

Cons of RTR 200:

• Doesn't have great top end. While touring it can do 100Kmph all day. But on the track, it struggles on the straight lines. It reaches 100 quick, but struggles after that.
• Buzzy post 7500 RPM.

Since TVS scooters and commuter motorcycles are too much, the service experience can be mediocre. Initial days was a struggle for me. I switched 3 service centres till I found a good one. Now, I am settled and get consistent and good service every time. Note that the part quality of TVS is very good. Its the labour/work that is a problem. So if you know a passionate mech, get the parts off the counter and get it serviced from him.

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Asked to replace the engine head tappets under warranty and he said he cannot if it doesn't show 78.

BHPian 100Kmphormore recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Ghata went for her 15000 km check service yesterday. The personnel were strictly instructed to only fix the below and not touch anything else, as it was just fine after Zoheb's work except for:

• Speedometer vibration between 3k to 5k rpm - not fixed
• Tappet sound which was there since 10000 km but i was not aware of what it was - the irritating fich-fich sound amidst the engine note.
• Rattling numberplate at the rear - no screws, have ordered. Wah!
• The rubber boots coming off - saar, adu normal. Wah Taj!

Regarding the tappet noise, certainly didnt even open to check the decompression valve and timing chain that the technician Raju mentioned (how and why he said this after just putting his ears to the engine - clueless). Does anyone know this Raju at the company operated BTM outlet, where he mentioned he was working earlier? Gave a piece of my mind today to the supervisor who had no idea why he said I could collect the bike the previous evening, 5 mins before closing (thank god for call logs. He denied calling me!) when it wasn't fixed even after a day. The guy comes with a Db meter, it reads 72 db and says 78 is the minimum the company will consider. Asked him to replace the engine head tappets under warranty and he said he cannot if it doesn't show 78. Just decided to take it back as i was fed up. They insist to bill Rs.118 as consumable and washing charges at which i lost my patience. The bike had been standing outside in the rain, all dirty since the previous evening. I may not bathe but she will remain spotless is my policy and these service folk make it a bloody joke of security and cleanliness (I even saw a rat outside the building, once). They say its mandatory to charge and they kept it inside the building while closing (will have to verify this.). Mentioned that and firmly said wouldn't pay a penny because of their lacklustre job and wanted the bike back.

Gave a 1 star review on the review email and was contacted by the RE customer service team, gave a detailed account of all the above. Hopefully, something will happen.

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The only peeve I had was the exhaust sound, or, the lack of it. It should be a little loud.

BHPian rajeevsulu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My Interceptor is now 4 months and 4500 kms old. I am very happy with the motorcycle and it ticks all boxes for me. The only peeve I had was the exhaust sound, or, the lack of it. It should be a little loud. After reading up on the forum here, I decided to go with Power Rage exhaust system. They are based out of Coimbatore and I live in Erode. I opted for the short, brushed chrome finish system. It costs Rs. 16990-/ with free shipping and it reached me the next day. Fitting the system is very straight forward and is a diy job which takes 20 minutes maximum.

Initial Impressions:

• The exhaust is a little louder than stock, and, that is what I wanted.
• It weighs less than half compared to the stock ones.
• I did a 50 km run and i feel there is a slight increase in torque. I don't know whether it is my imagination.
• It looks much much better than the stock system.
• There is a massive difference in heat buildup. The stock system used to sizzle away. This feels much cooler.

I will update the thread as I ride more.

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Highly competent weapon of choice for touring long distances. You can easily sit for hours without taking a break. Seats are firm but not too firm,

BHPian Boringrider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

5000 km update:

It's been just 10 months and I have already crossed 5000 kms on the Yezdi which is surprising because on my scooter I average an yearly usage of around 3.5k kms over the last 7-8 years. I am in a much more better position to comment on things now that the bike feels settled completely and I too feel much more comfortable, gel with it pretty nicely!

Starting off straight with the important areas:

The Engine & Riding Nature - Will pull you back and shoot forward with no hesitation when you open up the throttle. What a sensational machine! Punchy acceleration throughout all the gears. The engine never feels lazy, it always is wanting you to rev it and take it to the next gear and go on. It does need a high level of self-restraint when driving inside the city. I have to actively remind myself and exercise control over the right hand in city traffic.

It's a joy to push through the gears. The clutch is hard and requires you to pull it all the way in. But once you get accustomed to its nature, it makes each gear shift feel blazing fast since the gears are slick. On the stiffer side, but the satisfying sounds you get when slotting gears is sweet. It is a bit notchy sometimes when going from 1-2 and sometimes feels vague with no feedback when shifting down multiple gears continuously but apart from that, it is delightful. Makes that satisfying loud chunk sound when you put it in 1st. The power delivery at the top of the rev range is monstrous. I still don't know where the rev limiter is because it keeps revving even after 8k rpm and the meter is marked upto 12k rpm. I tried it only once and scared myself enough with that. At 6-6.5k rpm, you do experience that peak pull of the torque and after that it does keep going on but at this point the engine becomes noisy to the point where it overpowers even the exhaust note. However, you won't find yourself doing these extremely focused performance runs unless you're on a race track.

Coming to real world usage, it is a fairly smooth and reliable engine with enough punch to keep you entertained. I did a Chennai to Bangalore trip at sustained triple digit speeds and never once did the bike feel stressed or out of its element. After taking a break, I thought the engine would be a bit stressed out as I was on constant 100-110 kmph speeds for more than an hour or two but it never felt that way and kept going smoothly and happily.

Heating is a non-issue when on open roads. However, it does hit you particularly on the right leg in slow-moving traffic. The riding nature in bumper-to-bumper traffic does get annoying at times as the hot air flow to your right leg feels like a never-ending affair. It does get better when you get moving a bit but if your primary riding is in high-traffic routes, you might be better off on another bike. The bike will not stall and die or become grumpy in slow speeds, it's just the inherent rev-happy nature of the engine will make you feel more comfortable on lesser-densely packed roads or highways. It will make its way in traffic and get you to your destination but honestly if you understand engines, love your machines and treat them like a friend/person (which you do anyway otherwise you wouldn't be on this forum), you wouldn't want to subject it to the heat and the long periods of idling anyway. Moreover, it's the traffic more than the engine which can get to me easily, unsettling the mental composure and spoiling the mood.

I have adapted my riding style of upshifting very early, riding inside the city to keep things smooth and free-flowing without much aggression. For context, I am riding in 3rd gear when doing 30kmph when the same engine will easily do at least 2-2.5x that speed in the same 3rd gear when pushed outright. I like these numbers because it gives me the feeling of taming a large monster which can go ballistic when needed. Shifting up in the 4-5k rpm range helps in the smooth refinement levels and the engine is also happy with the early upshifts. In fact, there are times where you can sense that it feels better in the higher gears.

Overall - Manages city usage decently well, prefer to have minimal to moderate level traffic routes. Excellent on highways, overtaking grunt is fierce due to the tall rev range. Can maintain its own pace for hours without stress. High-traffic roads are a pain and best avoided for you and your bike's comfort, unless you have no other choice.

The Handling - Surprisingly nimble for a bike this size. The wide handlebars and the leverage they give you is a boon. Can do a U-turn without going into the other lane! However, due to the wide nature of the handles, you cannot take certain gaps in traffic which you otherwise would be able to in other bikes.

With that being said, it is easy to throw around wide open spaces and make your way past. As I said earlier, I am not much of corner-carver but this will surely do it with ease should you want it to do just that. Even with the 21-inch front wheels, it feels well connected to your inputs even though you can't see the front tyre. One-time I had a puncture in the front-tyre and after fixing it, the guy had overinflated the tyre after which it started feeling a bit disconnected and braking felt vague. However, it has slowly started back to feeling more responsive as the tyre pressure wears down to a more optimal level.

The Braking - 340mm front disc is massive and confidence-inspiring. Braking performance is flawless and stops without a fuss even in high-speed braking scenarios. The brake-dive does require some getting used to especially if you're not used to ADV's. It did scare me the initial few times but even in those moments, it never went out of control and maintained its line. It has saved me on many occasions. Rear brake is also top class and is pretty usable. In fact, in city rides you can get by just using the rear brake alone with minimal front brake input.

However, one thing I feel missing is the sharpness and responsive in both the brakes. It was there when it was new. Even a little tap would respond so well and that has spoiled me. It does work well even now but that ultra-sensitive sharpness is gone as the brakes have settled/bedded in. Now it feels like you have to squeeze it a lot more to get the same effect. This seems to be a common issue with modern ABS-equipped brakes, going by what I read on tbhp posts from other members. It can be mitigated to some extent by tightening the brakes while servicing but that sensitivity cannot be regained fully. In fact, on some of my recent commutes in the city, there were moments where I realized the brakes never kicked in to the extent I wanted even though mentally I knew I was engaging the levers in. One possible factor could be accumulated dust as I have not had the bike washed from a fairly long time and I will get that done soon.

Overall - Top notch braking performance, keeps the bike steady even under panic braking situations. ABS is a life-saver, as usual! Hail Bybre.

The Comfort - Highly competent weapon of choice for touring long distances. You can easily sit for hours without taking a break. Seats are firm but not too firm, Yezdi has really nailed this right out of the gate. I never felt the need for any seat mods. Another noteworthy and unexpected point I noticed is it masks speeds well on the move. I have found myself doing unintended speeds and then one look at the speedo gives you a mildly pleasant surprise. I am 6'3 and at my height, windblast doesn't feel disturbing at highway speeds, provided you have a proper helmet. It does get slightly noisy and unstable when using my normal city usage helmet (which is also a full-face one anyway) but with the SMK helmet, it doesn't bother it at all!

The suspension is a marvel of engineering. It just gobbles up bad roads for snacks and then some more. Reviews kept mentioning it's on the stiffer side but trust me it translates that into the stability you need on high speed runs. Even with city usage, it doesn't feel too stiff to me. No it will not transmit every minor undulation, roughness on the road to your back. Not at all! Quite the opposite, when everyone else will be slowing down you'll be gliding ahead. Bad roads/patches are overtaking opportunities for me with this and I am not even joking with this sentence.

I did some off-roading too and once you start saddling, you will realise this is a proper ADV. It just eats up whatever you throw at it without breaking a sweat. Thoroughly impressed. Don't ask me for the off-road trail location though. It's a relatively unknown one here in Chennai and I would love to keep it away from the public eye otherwise it will end up as another trashed-up mainstream destination. If you know, you know!

Other points:

Fuel Efficiency - If you're the type of person who is obsessed with "kitna deti hai?", you will be disappointed with the numbers. It returns around 25-27kmpl depending on your riding style which is low for a 334 cc engine but it has the bhp to counter that point. Anyway, I have felt other people not being happy with this answer but I am not one of them so it doesn't bother me. I am not some affluent kid, it's just that my usage is less so it doesn't affect me to that extent. I use it only for long tours or weekend fun. I have a scooter for my daily commutes (which thankfully doesn't heat up like this does) which strikes the perfect balance of commuting and fun!

Refinement - Smooth in the lower and mid-range rpms, does get vibey at top end, being a high-revving single cylinder format. Overall, pretty good for a first-gen product! Will definitely need improvements in their further iterations if they want to do well as a brand otherwise this will also die down as another failed brand effort by Mahindra.

If you would remember from my initial review post, the engine felt unrefined/unsettled. Safe to say, that has improved by leaps and bounds and heating is also well controlled, only appears in dense situations. It took approx 2.5-3k kms for the engine to completely open up and feel at ease.

Lighting - Perfect at the moment for me. No aux lights installed.

Pillion Comfort - Excellent, not a single complaint.

Service Experience - Wherever you stay, please research the Google reviews of the dealer before going ahead. I say this because in Chennai there are multiple dealerships but I went with the one with good reviews even though it's quite far from my area. Right now, I have no major issues with the experience as it has been largely positive. Service costs and spare part costs also are affordable and will not drain your account.

For some reason, it does not like revving/showing-off to bystanders when you try to do it. I tried doing that out of excitement and the engine cut off on it own and after that, the check-engine light came on which was immediately anxiety-inducing but upon visiting the service centre, they cleared it off with the scanner within a minute and said that there was nothing wrong. The sensor has some issue when given too much throttle input at standstill.

The first time I did it, the engine cut off and the bike was unable to start up for 2-3 minutes after that but no warning light came on. After the second time, I just gave up and no more show-off, rev-battling for me here on.

Low-speed riding without frequent gear shifts - It is possible to do it once you get used to the characteristics and the nature. You need to keep the revs past the 2-2.5k rpm to pull it off. I learnt doing it on my own and it is useful in low-speed traffic situations, speedbreakers etc but sometimes it does feel a bit lazy taking off after that. Again, that might be due to the fact that I don't rev it too high but it is manageable if you just want to get by. I have also started from standstill in 2nd gear at times but I don't want to make it a habit so I don't do it frequently. 90% of the time I will shift down and immediately shift back up when we're moving. Also, it feels more comfortable and eager to go starting from 1st.

Fit & Finish - This is where it takes a hit. Everything can't be hunky-dory everywhere all the time, sadly. Lots of surface rusting in places where you wouldn't like it to be, even some on the brake discs. Paint and metal quality used seems to be the weak link. Thankfully, nothing has fallen off or crumbled to pieces yet and it needs care with cleaning and repainting bits each time it goes for a service. This seems to be a common issue with the bikes as reported from other owners in the group.

Contrastingly, the bike feels solid and well-put together with no squeaking, rattling from anywhere. Everything is either metal or hard-plastic and gives that well-built feeling but the rusting is inescapable.

Mods/Accessories planned:

• Centre Stand from madoverbikes.com but worried about it affecting the ground clearance so still undecided on that.
• Magnetic tank bag/soft luggage options.

I think I have covered all the relevant points. Let me know if I have missed something.

This brand seems to have a lot of potential for growth and a considerable alternative to the other mainstream products. After reading the complaints about these bikes on tbhp/online reviews/sentiments in general, most of them feel silly and uninformed to me. Whatever their motives, I won't react to it. I must admit initially it did get to me and I too felt bad about my choice however I understand my own mind better now and I am in love with my machine. I bought a bike which suits me well given my physical dimensions and keeps me happy. However, I should start riding more and invest more on riding gear. Have some good stuff planned in mind, will need to work on my mental health a bit more before I can do that.

The feeling I get when I look at my own silhouette riding this beast in the shadow, on the highway is just unmatchable. I made it, this is the stuff I dreamt of as a kid and now I've turned it into reality. Maybe the SBK dreams will also come true in a similar sense! Anyway, riding off into the long open highway till then.

Some pictures to follow:

In the Depths of the Darkness:

Notice the Yezdi text on the grip as well:

The simplest hack to make your bike sound 2x sweeter. Just remove 3 bolts using a hex key and you're set:

Casual evening ride to N4 Beach:

From the off-roading trail, this is not the actual location:

Long-exposure photography on a night ride:

Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore:

The 5k milestone:

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I am a huge fan of the analog tachometer. The only thing I miss on the Ninja 300 console is a gear position indicator! Even my Yamaha Fazer 25 doesn't have it.

BHPian WalterWhite recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

With my Lex (Yamaha Fazer 25) turning 5.5 years and 52K KMs on the ODO. The ownership review is here. I started the hunt for my next motorcycle. Lex is mostly used for daily office commutes and occasional touring. Now I am planning to take the touring a bit more seriously. So my next motorcycle should be touring-friendly. I love sports touring rather than outright tourers. My budget is around 5 lakhs.

Following are my requirements:

• Should be able to comfortably cruise at 120KMPH and have enough juice left for quick overtakes.
• Refinement.
• Reliability.
• Touring friendly.

I shortlisted Ninja 300, CB300R, and R3.Yamaha R3: I am a huge fan of BS4 R3. I never got a chance to test-ride it. But it is just stunning. The headlight design felt like an angry dragon's eyes looking at you. That creamy parallel twin engine always tempted me. Sadly it was discontinued and the old design is never going to make a comeback. Yamaha has updated the R3 internationally. It gets revised styling which I am not a big fan of. But I was eagerly waiting for the Indian launch. To my surprise, Yamaha showcased the updated R3 along with its naked sibling MT-03 a couple of months back at a dealer event. I was really excited but at the same time I realized, do I really need to get this motorcycle kind of thinking. Even If I had dreamed of owning one for 3 years. I don't know if it's just me. I always dream of owning things in my mind. But then, in most cases, changes the decision and finalizes on another one. Because when I am going to get it then only I give it a lot of thought and compare it with other alternatives. And finding other alternatives suits me well. Similar case with R3. When I really thought about its shortcomings, one struck me well. After Sales and Service. Being a Fazer 25 owner I know how frustrating it is to get treatment similar to scooters and commuters from the ASC. Spending 1.5 Lac and getting this kind of treatment is somewhat bearable. But spending almost 5 Lac and getting the same kind of treatment is just a big NO. Because Yamaha doesn't have premium showrooms and service centers for their Big Bikes like Honda do. At least you get a premium feel. Upgrading the existing showrooms to Blue Square is not just enough Yamaha! Still, you sell all of your two-wheelers under the same roof. What guarantee this will give the big bike owners that their bikes are duly taken care of? I am really scared here, R3 is a really wonderful motorcycle. Buying it is one thing. But maintaining it is another big thing. I don't want my motorcycle to suffer. Sadly, even before the launch and even before the test ride. I had to sacrifice R3.

Honda CB 300R : I didn't really care about this bike because of the high price, modest power, and compact dimensions. But it started to grow on me after watching a lot of reviews on Youtube. Especially the review from Strell. So thought about it as a replacement for my Lex. So that I can take it for daily commutes + touring. Kind of do it all motorcycle. At least I thought that way. The only gripe was the tiny fuel tank which doesn't help while touring. But decided to give it a shot. Called Big Wing Top Line Cochin and asked if they can arrange a longer test ride. Got the green signal and the next Saturday visited the showroom and took the bike for a spin. It was the BS6 model, the OBD2 model yet to reach dealerships.

The front view is absolutely gorgeous in person. 41mm Golden USD Forks and dark red color is a very good combo. Looks beefy and premium. That always-on LED headlamp also adds a lot of character to the bike even though it is not purposeful.

Sculpted fuel tank, naked frame, upswept exhaust, etc only add a lot of character to the bike. I can stare at the bike from this angle for countless hours:

From this angle, the only thing I like is the re-designed exhaust muffler. Oh yes, the LED indicators as well, and nothing else. They need to seriously work on the tail light design. It is quite boring for this aggressive beast of a motorcycle:

The Ride : First thing I noticed was how easy this motorcycle is. Coming from Fazer 25, CB300R felt very light and not intimidating. The next thing is the exhaust note, it is very loud and bassy quite a bit of a whistling sound also came along. In idle, if you are deaf you don't even get to know the engine is running. It is that smooth. Low-end to mid-range pull is excellent. This bike pulls right from 2K RPM to 7K RPM cleanly. The engine just glides along. No vibration. No stress. Nothing except the loud exhaust note you can here. At 7K RPM, you would expect the same pull to the red line. But that is not the case here. Sadly, from 7.5K RPM onwards I could feel vibes at the footpegs and handlebar. At 7K RPM, it can do 110KMPH in 6th gear. Which is stress-free. 110 to 120KMPH just a bit of stress felt on the engine. After 120 KMPH engine feels stressed, unfortunately. I am not sure if this is an issue with the test bike I rode. Owners, please comment on your experience. The brakes felt ok. Handling and straight-line stability at higher speeds are decent. The only thing is that the rear mono shock is too soft. I don't know, maybe it's on the softest setting. But it is very weird. There is a lot of action on the rear. It robs away the confidence of the rider.

I was looking for a motorcycle that can comfortably cruise at 120KMPH with good stability and enough oomph on reserve. Sadly, it is not the case with the CB300R, it can comfortably cruise 100 to 110KMPH. A little better than my Fazer 25 which can do 90 - 100KMPH. But that's it. Pull after 120KMPH is also not that great. So sadly I had to knock it off the list.

Few clicks of Goldwing which I took while visiting the showroom.

This beast was showcased at the Cochin showroom:

It's massive. You need a wide pair of eyes to fully see it. Just kidding:

Ninja 300: This piece of art is a decade old. But still looks contemporary. What magic Kawasaki has used to create this machine? IMHO Ninja 300 looks way more beautiful than the Ninja 400. It has that older ZX10R styling cues. The design is never modified since it was launched here which is a decade back. For me, it is a good thing. I don't fancy LED headlights or a TFT console. In fact, I am a huge fan of the analog tachometer. The only thing I miss on the Ninja 300 console is a gear position indicator! Even my Fazer 25 doesn't have it. I called Kawasaki Cochin for a test ride. They said they can arrange it. So visited the showroom. The showroom was partly empty. A ZX10R, a couple of Ninja 300, and W175 were parked inside. Got a warm welcome from the sales executive Koshy. He was glad to explain things. Treated me very well. Something I missed in Honda Big Wing Cochin.

This is the Candy Lime Green color variant that was in stock when I visited the showroom. This was BS6 one:

The Candy Lime Green is darker compared to the Lime Green color. I didn't like the color and graphics. They had only stock in this color:

The mighty 10R. This was the last piece available in BS6 form. Later got to know that this one moved to Kozhikode for delivery:

Look from the rear is massive. This was the best pic I could take. There was a lot of sunlight filtering through. I couldn't get a clear pic from the front as well, because it was kept too close to the front glass panels. I tried a couple of clicks from outside. But there was a lot of reflections and the front look was barely visible:

The Ride: I requested a long test ride. But they kept saying the max they could give is 10 km. That too in the busy Kochi - Salem Highway connecting Kalamassery and Aluva. I asked them what is the point in that. Because the potential of the motorcycle at least partially if not fully cannot be understood. But they said it is under temp registration, so If the MVD finds it exceeding the 10 Km range, then they will be fined. I understood the situation and agreed for a short spin. They took the test ride unit from the service center and parked it in front of the showroom. It was a black Ninja with slight green touches here and there. That was the first time I am seeing one in that color. It was more gorgeous in person than in PICs.

This is me on the Ninja:

Doesn't feel committed on board as you might feel from the pics:

My Lex parked aside the Black Beauty:

The ride was pretty good. Once on board, you will feel it is a very premium motorcycle. From pics, you might not feel it. But it is premium right from the meter console. Fit and finish and the paint job is very good. Something which lacked in the Honda CB300R. Another thing I noticed, unlike R3, you sit 'on' the motorcycle not 'in' the motorcycle. Rider POV is very premium. Night rides are going to be super cool with the backlit meter console. Moving to the Engine, no need to say anything here. This is a super refined engine in possibly every RPM. I was able to master the Rev match very quickly. Something I couldn't do properly on CB300R, possibly because of my inexperience. Gears shifts are crisp. The low-end pull was better on the CB300R. Ninja pulls cleanly from lower RPM unlike a lot of YouTubers who comment that the low end is bad on the Ninja. But again this is from my limited experience. But still felt it is better than my Fazer 25. I couldn't take Ninja 300 post 7K RPM hence cannot really comment on the top-end performance. But from reviews, this is where it shines. So cruising at 120Kmph should be a cakewalk for Ninja.

Handling and stability were good. But one thing to note is when you take tight u-turns, the handlebar comes too close to the tank and your palms are jammed in between. Keeping your palm towards the end of the handlebar would help. The brakes felt average at best. I don't know if this is because the test unit brake pads are nearing their lifetime. The seat height is very low at 780mm. I have planted foot on both sides. My height is 169cm.

Completed the test ride. Overall liked the motorcycle. I wanted to proceed further. Reached the showroom and had a chat with Koshy. From the talks, I felt he is a genuine motorcycle enthusiast. There was no lime green color available. I have to wait till the OBD2 variant arrives. Koshy promised me he will notify me of the updates.

A week later Kawasaki launched the OBD2 model with 3 color options. Lime Green, Candy Lime Green, and Metallic Moon Dust Grey. Instantly liked the flagship Lime Green color. For me, it was the most attractive. A couple of days later got a call from Koshy as he promised. There is Lime Green variant available at the showroom. If interested, I can pay a visit. Visited the showroom on the weekend.

This is the Lime Green color in the flesh. Looks gorgeous:

Naked beast Z900:

Versys 650. It is taller:

Versys 650. That comfy seat begs for long touring hours:

So I have finally decided to go with the Ninja 300. Let the decade-old dream be fulfilled. But I have to wait till August to make the funds ready.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

When I went for the service, I spoke with the service head, described the main issue of the awful ride quality, informed him of the warranty replacement of the monoshock.

BHPian drt_rdr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took the bike to the other SvC in town (20 km from home) about a month ago for its second service and got the troubles that haunted the bike since Day1 looked into as well. Now, a month later, there seems to be some movement towards a final fix for the issue. Details below.

When I went for the service, I spoke with the service head, described the main issue of the awful ride quality, informed him of the warranty replacement of the monoshock, showed the videos I had made of the bike, and left the bike overnight with them to have a go at sorting it out, hoping the information I provided was enough to narrow down the cause.

They got back to me the next day. Confirming things from the videos, the lead technician had diagnosed it as a case of misalignment of the needle roller bearings on the swingarm. They reseated the bearings, greased them and returned the bike to me.

This sorted out the rattling noise completely. It sorted the terrible ride quality and thudding noise to some extent. But it still didn't completely fix them, just made the issue much more tolerable.

I could still feel every bump on the road and riding for even an hour or so would still leave me in quite a bit of discomfort. But this was a BIG improvement from the horrible, horrible condition the bike was in when I bought it. The bike was now actually usable for the first time since I bought it.

So, I went back and gave them my feedback and asked them to check again. The technician was convinced the issue was completely sorted though, and despite my insistence that the issue was not suspension related, he made the usual preload adjustment and asked me to check. This obviously didn't fix the issue and it meant I had to visit them again to get them to understand the issue. Between work and personal affairs, it took multiple visits over the duration of a month to get some meaningful movement towards a proper resolution.

I had them ride my bike and their TR bike back-to-back offroad and later made videos of the same to show that the issue was not sorted.

They inturn suspected the monoshock again, and replaced it with the one from their TR bike.

When that didn't fix things, they decided it must be a case of defective or damaged swingarm bearings, and ordered the part, which they informed would take about 2-3 weeks to procure.

At present, I'm awaiting a call from them to get the replacement done under warranty.

I don't blame them for the delay though. Atleast their responsiveness was much better than the resistance and incompetence of the dealership I bought the bike from. The service head here gave the impression of being responsible, thorough, and conservative. The lead technician, though overconfident, was responsive.

So, the question swirling in my head now is: how the heck did the bike get misaligned swingarm bearings??? Now, I didn't probe into what way they were misaligned. I didn't have a look at the type of bearings Suzuki uses either, but how hard is it to fit these correctly anyway?

The technician suggested it was a PDI failure at the dealership end. If checking the swingarm bearings comes under the purview of a PDI, I don't find it hard to swallow that the dealership I bought from fell short or goofed up. There were a few other goofups too and a hell of lot left to be desired from them in other aspects as well.

But the bikes get delivered to dealerships in completely-built state, don't they? Which means the misalignment must have originally occurred at the Suzuki factory. Either that, OR my particular unit was possibly used as a donor bike for something at the dealership and carelessly put back together.

Regarding the other issues:

• No movement on the irritating engine noise. The technician initially didn't acknowledge the issue. When I showed the bike to him after riding it for a couple hours, the hot engine made the issue very apparent and he acknowledged it. He advanced the timing a bit, but that hasn't fixed things. It's actually made the bike less eager to rev. He said he'd checked the valve clearance and found no issue when I had left it overnight.
• The technician adjusted the suspension in the clamps and the handlebar for the left-pulling issue. The bike seems slightly better but it still pulls a bit left when I let go of the bar. Atleast, I'm not experiencing any shoulder pain issues at the moment. But the steering stem\coneset has been set towards the looser end on my bike. Will need to tighten it to my preferences and check again if the left-pulling gets bothersome.
• The technician said he tuned the horn, but it still sounds weak to me.
• I took a blower to the ignition switch, and then sprayed some WD40. Seems to have fixed it. Haven't really paid much attention to it amidst other things.
• The fuel average meter is still acting up. The average over my total odo reading had risen up to 33kmpl, but inexplicably once again dropped back to 30.

That's it for now.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Right now, MotoGP seems like a circus where the owners have removed the safety net, increased the height of the hanging ropes, and are asking the artists to do double the number of shows every week.

BHPian RiderZone recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This piece is primarily based on my opinions, so it’s going to get complex and abstract in places. Let me then start by saying something non-controversial, something we can all agree on: Formula 1 is boring as a bag of bricks.

Right, so now that that’s established, let’s define the problem here:

Even though the last few years of MotoGP have been exciting, unpredictable, full of the best racing in all motorsport, F1 has completely overshadowed MotoGP in terms of popularity.

The bean counters in charge of MotoGP at Dorna have watched the line go down, and have responded by increasing the number of race weekends, and increasing the number of races within each race weekend.

This is a bad idea, and now I’ll try to explain why that is so.

Risk vs. Reward

Both F1 and MotoGP are dangerous sports, but the level of danger involved is not comparable between the two, especially now with the introduction of the Halo technology in F1. This is rather obvious, but still needs stating, the fundamental dynamics of motorcycle racing mean that the rider needs to be moving on the bike, which means they need a certain level of flexibility in their body, which means that they can’t be protected by anything too rigid or constraining. Riders nowadays use sophisticated airbag leather suits and fancy helmets, but that can hardly be compared to a metal and carbon fiber cage around you.

The level of risk of injury for a MotoGP rider is far higher per race than for an F1 driver. No amount of protective gear will help you when your own bike flings you into the air, and then proceeds to headbutt you at 200 kph. This is where rider safety hits a wall, and there’s simply no way to reduce this risk, especially if you want close racing.

The decision by Dorna to increase the number of races per year, and also introduce Sprint races, is multiplying this risk many times over. This is quite easily noticeable in the fact that only 4 events have happened this year, and already Pol Espargaro, Enea Bastianini, Marc Marquez and Miguel Oliviera have had to miss races due to injuries.

This is a disaster waiting to happen.

Speed vs. Safety

Another important aspect of the safety problem in MotoGP is the ever increasing power and speed. This can be all blamed on one dude and his evil monobrow, Gigi Dall’Igna. His relentless pursuit of a championship for Ducati spawned the whole aerodynamics war that’s still going, which has pushed the acceleration and top speeds of these bikes beyond crazy.

The war isn’t restricted to just ugly wings either, these bikes now have ride height devices, holeshot devices, tuned mass dampers and turbo encabulators. Riders are not only going faster than ever, they’re doing more things on the bike while going faster, leaving them more prone to errors. The monster crash at Austria in 2020 was far too close for comfort, but it doesn’t seem to have changed much.

Like F1, this type of a technology war among factories doesn’t help with their budgets either, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was part of the reason why Suzuki decided to quit the championship. But more importantly, all of these additions are alienating people like me from relating to the bikes.

What I’m going to say sounds pretty stupid, because it is, but it matters. When I ride my motorcycle on a twisty canyon path, I like to imagine I’m on a racetrack, switching from side to side, leaning dangerously, hitting those apexes. In reality my lean angle doesn’t exceed single digits, and no apexes are hurt in the operation at all, but you know what I mean. With these new machines with their buttons and levers and wings, that whole imaginary connection is gone.

I would never be able to ride a MotoGP bike, because of a number of good reasons, but with these new machines it seems more like I simply can’t ride them, they are far more complex than just a motorcycle, too many things are going on that an idiot like me wouldn’t be able to handle. That sucks, and I hate it. Moreover, this shouldn’t only be left implied, the new bikes are ugly. They look nothing like the machines a normal dude can buy, and that sucks too.

Look at the Aprilia RS-GP from 10 years ago, and what it is now. What the hell happened?

Sport vs. Entertainment

Formula 1 is more about entertainment, more about the individuals, their stories, and their rivalries. MotoGP is more about the sport, about the racing overall, or at least it has been since end of 2021.

Before that we had Valentino Rossi, for a very long time he wasn’t just a racer in MotoGP, he was MotoGP. People watched races because of him, people hated Marquez and Lorenzo and Biaggi because of him, he was a rare combination of sport and entertainment. Rossi retired at the end of 2021 season, and a large number of superfans retired with him.

Not only that, Marq Marquez missed large parts of 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons due to some massive crashes and injuries. What that meant is that coming into 2023, MotoGP had its biggest star retire, and the second biggest star miss most of the previous races. This shifted the balance even further towards people who watch the series for the racing, not for the individuals. People like me, who enjoy random people start from 15th and go on to win the race, became the majority of the audience.

Into the mix in 2019 got thrown the F1 Netflix docu series, Drive to Survive, which helped Formula 1 massively in terms of mainstream appeal. F1 is primarily entertainment, which is why the reality drama type thing works for them. MotoGP tried to copy this with MotoGP Unlimited Amazon Prime series in 2022, but people like me were simply not interested in that type of a thing.

The sad reality is that entertainment sells better than sport, and MotoGP is trying to cash in on that trend. But MotoGP in its current form does not have the characters that can create enough drama to be entertaining. There are no real rivalries in MotoGP, they are just a bunch of dedicated supermen who really want to win races. The old psychological games of Rossi are gone, riders now often train together, and being a teammate doesn’t mean instant grudge anymore. Rivalries happen when one guy gets dominant and cocky, and then you root for the underdog to pull him back to earth. When some random guy wins every race and the championship changes hands every season, nobody is dominant.

The only real drama in the 2023 season so far has been the multiple mistakes by stewards in handing out penalties, drama that gets even more dramatic when you realize that the MotoGP safety officer Tomé Alfonso Ezpeleta is the nephew of CEO Carmelo, while Carlo, son of Carmelo, is part of Race Direction. Tomé’s partner Tamara is a permanent member of the MotoGP Stewards panel, the body that dishes out the justice. The monopoly this family has over motorcycle racing is pretty insane, Dorna owns WSBK too btw, and Carmelo’s daughter Ana is the head of Dorna’s talent promotion, running things like Red Bull Rookies among others.

I think we need a “Keeping up with the Ezpeletas” at this point.

Greed vs. Fear

Even though F1 and MotoGP are both in the motorsports category, they are very different animals. Dorna’s incompetent attempts to copy F1’s popularity while trying to fix what isn’t really broken will lead to more injuries and suffering for the riders. MotoGP is not going to be as popular as F1 simply because of the nature of their being, Dorna needs to embrace that and focus on the racing rather than the drama. It would also help if they stop with the whole sportswashing thing, but I guess it’s too late for that.

It almost seems like Dorna is in a state of panic, and they’ve reverted to the most hypercapitalist response to decreasing profits, to make their workers work harder and work more hours. This will lead to more injuries, more riders missing races, and reduce the viewership even further, digging their hole even deeper.

The whole Sprint thing needs to be scrapped, the total number of races per season are already more than enough at 20, cut back on the technology wars, just bring the sport back to its roots. MotoGP racing has been the best for many years, the only reason I would stop watching it now is because I’m too scared of seeing someone die or get horribly injured. I'm looking for a fun Sunday evening, not an involuntary snuff film.

It is too easy to forget that under those dark lids, most of these are 20 something year olds, even younger in Moto2 and Moto3. Yes they are professionals and hard as nails, but they are only human.

Right now, MotoGP seems like a circus where the owners have removed the safety net, increased the height of the hanging ropes, and are asking the artists to do double the number of shows every week. Somebody is going to get hurt, and that'll be the drama nobody wants.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Great thread, thanks for sharing! We will add it to our homepage this week.

As a businessman, I have to comment that MotoGP needs some good, old shots of marketing & promotions too. Just look at F1 under the new owners = they have greatly ramped up direct & indirect marketing, social media participation, better ways to engage fans, better onboard shots, better camera work at the races, fastest lap of the race points...and even a Netflix series that brought in millions of new viewers to Formula 1 (related reading). In the USA alone, viewership doubled and new tracks are being added.

I have watched a few MotoGP races and enjoyed them. But it simply has no headspace in the minds of regular enthusiasts like me (not the case with diehard bikers like you). If I don't even think of MotoGP during the weekend, how will I watch it? Even on Team-BHP - the definitive platform for auto enthusiasts in India - how many posts do we have for MotoGP races? We live in an age of information & entertainment overload today. There are only so many hours we have for entertainment every day, and the options are too many (Instagram, 10000 streaming apps & TV series, restaurants, drives, books & reading, family get-togethers...).

Had read a good article & discussion on The-Race too. Check it out.

Here's what BHPian mayankk had to say on the matter:

What MotoGP is missing now is a hugely popular polariser, which was VR. That they dont have one right now means people are NOT tuning in to see such a figure win, fight, or lose to anyone else. For two decades we had fights between the cream of MotoGP and Rossi. Dorna is missing the yellow army, and sorely at that.

While leaving aside any discussion of the greatness (fanboy here), there is no denying that VR defined and directed the popularity of MotoGP. He didn't even have to win. Even in Ducati days, he kept things on a boil.

Unfortunately, MotoGP does not have such a personality right now

Here's what BHPian srini1875 had to say on the matter:

Every sport needs the following to sustain:

1. Stars : Valentino Rossi, Virat Kohli, Michael Schuhmacher, Messi, Shaquille o'neal , Mike Tyson. So you get the drift?. Stars are the sport and sport are the stars. After VR, MotoGP wasn't the same. It reminds me of what John Lennon once said "Pete was a good drummer but Ringo was a good beatle"

2. Money: There is no substitute for moolah. Sports like F1 and MotoGP especially need it since racing is technical sport and almost every team tries to prove that they are technically superior by bringing their best engineers to the sport. This don't come cheap.

3. Marketing/Merchandising: No point in having talent unless you promote yourself. The sport has to reach its intended audience. Target group for equestrian is not the same as say Cricket or Basketball.

4. Inclusion: A sport has to be universal. Football is the most popular sport in the world for a reason. From the barren lands of Africa, desserts of ME, Cold regions of Europe practically everyone can play it. MotoGP and F1 are basically seen as sports of developed nations with less following in Third world countries. Cricket still has the hangover of the British empire and so does rugby. Baseball is seen as an American sport just like their version of Rugby (they call it Football).

5. Administration: Lastly it needs proper administration which not only ensures proper governance but keeps malpractices out and most importantly rakes in the moolah.

I'm not an avid fan of MotoGP but see few races but after Valentino's retirement, have lost all the interest in it. I was never a fan of F1.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

In order to test the limits of my machine after the service, I took the daring decision to take my Bullet all the way to college.

BHPian SgtGAWD recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The thread has been lying inactive for a long time as I was too busy with my semester exams and a host of other stuff. The updates on the Bullet have been plentiful in between and I have kept track of all of it. So here it goes:

28th Oct 2022:

I left my bike with my mechanic to get the cam work done. He told me to get a Cam Kit (part no 141991) and Timing Gear (part no 140115). They ended up costing me Rs. 2270.
I had also gotten hold of a fuel tank as my tank was not straight and got it painted for Rs 400. I opted to go for a plain red colour instead of the erstwhile chrome and red as the rest of my motorcycle was red already.

05 Nov 2022:

My mechanic called me up and told me that my motorcycle was ready. I went to pick it up and upon starting her up, I felt a marginal reduction in sound. There was no clatter at idle however once the motorcycle reached high RPMs while riding or went beyond 30-35 km/h, there was a discernable clatter from the engine. My mechanic told me that the sound was from the big-end and required a full engine overhaul. He advised me to get it done after a year or so of riding as the motorcycle was still usable and only advised me to get the oil changed regularly. Needless to say, I was disappointed and the motorcycle began to spend its days in the garage

19 Dec 2022:

One fine day, I gathered up the courage to ride again on my flawed machine and went to the garage to take her out. I was greeted by a dead battery. I grudgingly took the battery to my usual charging guy and he told me to collect it in the afternoon. When I went to him in the afternoon, he informed me the battery was dead and didn't charge at all. He pointed out that I had taken the battery to him about a dozen times in the last 8 months and there was probably something wrong with my charging system. He advised me to visit a proper wiring specialist in Calcutta and get it looked at. I proceeded to send my battery off for replacement and got a new unit from Exide soon enough.

Being nearly at the end of my patience with the machine, I decided to get a bigger RR unit instead of the puny one in my Bullet. I went ahead and purchased an RR unit with auto cutoff and it costed me Rs 480. However the ampere meter still barely moved on accelerating and I concluded that there is something wrong with the alternator. So I took my Bullett to Calcutta. My father knew someone called Mr Subal in Bonhooghly, a few kilometres from my place. This gentleman owns a garage but is famous for being the wiring wizard and my dad was confident that he can sort out my charging issue. Upon seeing the bike, he got to work and soon identified the issue- the alternator was okay but it was wired incorrectly by my mechanic while swapping my wiring. All it took was 10 minutes and my battery was charging like new again. He also took my motorcycle for a spin and advised me to get new clutch plates and some gearbox work done. But he refused to work on my bike because he had too much on his plate. So I went from one mechanic to another and ended up with a variety of suggestions. Some refused to touch the bike and advised me to take the motorcycle to Wellington and get it overhauled from there while others blamed the air filter for all the noise. Fed up, I decided to return home.

15 Mar 2023:

I wasn't riding much and it had been a year since the last oil change. Although it had only been 250 kms, I decided to get the oil changed as it would give me the opportunity to some of the other work done as well. Having had enough of my local mechanics, I went a completely new mechanic a few kilometres away from my place at Dharsa. My dad knew this guy and vouched for his work. I gave my bike to him and informed him about all the issues and he told me that my motorcycle needed a new chain sprocket to solve the issue of the chain rubbing while carrying a pillion. I also had a nasty experience of the rear sliding out on hard braking due to the worn out 20 y/0 Dunlop at the rear so I decided to get a new tyre too. The mechanic had an old C350 rim lying around which I picked up for Rs 600 to replace my front rim. So I went ahead and procured the following parts:

• Motul 20W50 3L: Rs 850
• Rolon Chain Sprocket Set: Rs 1450
• Michelin Sirac Street 3.50/19 Rear tyre + Tube: Rs 1750 (I think I got a sweet deal on this)
• Spoke kit: Rs 700
• MK Clutch Plates: Rs 330
• Air Filter (RE OEM): Rs 75
• Oil Filter (RE OEM): Rs 30

He worked on the bike for a week or so. When I arrived to pick up my motorcycle, I had mixed feelings. I took the bike for a ride and rode it till 60-65 km/h and there was no clatter. The gearbox was considerably smoother and the bike felt livelier. The Michelin felt good and improved the braking. However, the chain issue persisted. My mechanic also informed me that he did not replace the oil filter and the front sprocket both of them were still usable. I also faced an issue with the spark plugs turning black and so he also replaced the spark plug and the plug cap. Moderately satisfied, I took my motorcycle home.

Elofic Filter vs OEM filter. OEM filter is less restrictive.

4th April 2023:

In order to test the limits of my machine after the service, I took the daring decision to take my Bullet all the way to college. The journey was a mere 13 kms however most of it was through the heart of Calcutta in peak rush hour traffic. My motorcycle performed okay and I did make it to my college without stalling. I also spotted 2 or 3 CI Enfields chugging along on their office commutes. The motorcycle delivered a mileage of 20-22 km/l and that was the only disappointing part about the entire day.

The farthest it has gone from home- 13kms.

Present Day:

I have ridden the Bullet for 60kms since the last service. The crank sound has returned whenever I am in second or third gear and have to accelerate even moderately. However the bike chugs along fine till 65km/h which is more than I will ever need on city roads. There is also an oil leak which my mechanic has attributed to the bearing of the front sprocket. It is causing the gearbox to lose oil which is causing stiffer shifts. It is also causing the chain to move side to side causing the chain noise.

Future Plans:

I went down to my garage today, armed with a tube of Autosol metal polish and an old toothbrush and began polishing the forks, timing chest and clutch cover. I mindlessly scrubbed away while thinking about the future of my machine. After much thought, I have made a decision to replace my CI bullet with a newer RE or get a smaller second bike. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the Enfield and it has vastly enhanced my knowledge about motorcycles. However, the constant maintenance and lack of practicality for my use case render it as nothing more than a weekend toy. Paperwork has also been an issue and I had approached an agent who quoted 30k for getting the papers up to date. However, the cops in WB are lenient and never have I ever been bothered by them about the papers (probably because of the red colour and the police decals). One of my friends was stopped once but he was let go when he politely explained about the hassles of sorting out paperwork for a vehicle from the 80s. However, not all cops may be so kind and it is better to be safe than sorry. I have two avenues to go on right now.

Keep the Enfield and get a smaller bike: This makes sense as I will get a sensible ride for now and restore the Enfield later when I have the finances to do so. The only problem with this option is that the only bikes that appeal to me other than a Bullet are the Hero Impulse and XPulse. The Impulses are hard to come by in my city and I shall avoid any FI XPulse due to my obvious apprehensions about anything other than a carburettor. That only leaves BS4 Carb XPulses for me which are hard to find too.

Replace the Bullet with another Bullet: I recently had the privilege to ride my friend’s C350 BS6 for 30-35 kms and came to the realization that the UCE engine isn’t half bad for my use-case. It delivers decent FE and once you plonk in an Indori exhaust, it sounds nearly identical to a CI bullet minus the thump and all the clatter from the engine. Moreover, the reliability blew me away. The only issue is the vibration but I realized that my CI vibrates equally but I am oblivious to it, perhaps due to the rose-tinted glasses. However, I still feel that the Classic is not the bike for me due to the 18” wheel at the back. An Electra or the Standard would be the perfect replacement for my Bullet and that brings us to the same problem– availability.

First prolonged exposure to a C350.

I also spotted a CI Electra 5s ES today at a motorcycle dealership and couldn’t stop myself from checking it out. I took a test ride and felt truly the best the CI engine had to offer. The shifts were as smooth as a C350, the thump was better than my CI and there was negligible engine noise. Plus, no CB points thus resulting in better reliability. However, being a CI engined Bullet, there will be engine trouble in the future and the sprag clutch will inevitably give up someday and the FE, though marginally better, will never be as good as a UCE. Also, it will probably be sold off by the time I find a buyer for my RE.

Whichever route I choose, I shall ensure that there remains at least one RE in my garage at all times.

At least the forks look shiny.

Chek out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Both are good on different aspects, with Apache offering more comfort and R15 gives more economy and ability to maintain high speeds over long time

BHPian SaurAswale recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all,

I have just started my career last year as a mechanical engineer. I have been absolute nerd for bikes and after drooling for 25 years, I think this is time to gift myself with one and join the tribe. I need help to take the decision, so here is some background.

Growing up in a farmer family, I have experience around 100cc splendor and passions(5 splendor and 3 passions).We use them for farm duties to 300km 'Rides' in a day. Until recently my brother bought Hornet 160r.

At start of career, it makes sense only to buy used one. Budget is set around 80k-90k and 1L including basic gear. Here are my requirements:

• Top priorities are fun to ride while giving good fuel economy of at least 40+kmpl. So all KTMs, CBR and Gixxers are out.
• There is "No need of a bike" as my parents says. I live in hostel literally 10 meters of my office. So, it is true to some extent. There is no commute now, but the bike should do commutes and errands after a year if I switch job or get married.
• I wish to keep her for at least next 5-7 years.
• As said this will be only vehicle I'll buy in near future it should be able to carry my partner as pillion and little luggage.
• I am working in Hyderabad, 600kms away from home in Kolhapur and I want to ride to home and back on the bike once in a quarter. So should be comfortable and efficient at highway speeds.
• Touring and weekend rides (At least I am planning to do it).
• ABS is mandatory.

I have only two motorcycles in my mind. Both are at different end of spectrum. First is king of the segment, Apache RTR 200. Another is the college crush and the Legend, Yamaha R15. I am not considering any other as most of out of my budget and these two I love.

Here is how they compare with each other. I am not going into spec sheet as it can be found on internet:

• Fun and feelings- I think Yamaha takes this one but Apache is not far behind in terms of fun. Being a motorsport fan, there is always itch to have a sportbike which R15 satisfies and Apache won't.
• Cost- Apaches are very affordable bikes for what they offer. I am able to find 2020 bs6 bikes with ABS, Bluetooth at 85-90k. While older R15v3 are 30k more expensive. God,WHY????
• Fuel economy- I know Apache can give 40+kmpl if driven sanely, and at highway speeds FE will drop further which is expected. R15 wins this one as for R15V3, people are claiming 50+kmpl at regular usage and 40-42 kmpl when driven above 100kmph. Please correct me if I am wrong here.
• Touring- Both are good on different aspects, with Apache offering more comfort and R15 gives more economy and ability to maintain high speeds over long time without breaking sweat or bank. And it's a sportbike not sport tourer hence not so comfortable, But I think I can manage this one just for sake of owning a sportbike.
• Maintenance- I don't have much knowledge on this but I think both will cost same to maintain. If you own one of the two, please share your experience.
• Pillion comfort- R15 is designed for different purpose and which it does the best, bringing smile on riders face. If it was for me alone, I would have bought it by now. But as a do it all bike, it will not make sense in couple of years. Apache wins this one.

Last week I had to travel 250 kms and my brother managed to borrow R15v2 from a friend so I can test ride. I absolutely loved it. She pulls nicely to overtake at 70kmph, very smooth, agility and cornering is as everyone says, Legendary. But being pillion and holding to my dear life is not pleasant experience.

Finally, What do I want?

Heart is screaming for R15v3 and go full yolo as 'You live the life only once'. Be selfish, live for yourself, don't think much.

Head says, be practical and buy Apache. Save 30k which can be spent on petrol. Do everything I want but loved ones close with me rather than waiting for me.

Which one should I choose?

Here's what BHPian Nikhildrao had to say on the matter:

The RTR 200 is a fun bike with rider modes and is very easy to drive in the city .The R15 has a committed rider position so being stuck in traffic will kil your wrists if you don't have the proper technique. The R15 is insanely fuel efficient, my V4 sometimes gave me 54+ km/lit ! I feel like your best bet would be FZ25. It has dual channel abs , 35-40 km/lit , torque filled for the city and a comfortable tourer.

Here' what BHPian Mr.Boss had to say on the matter:

All your requirements scream Apache RTR 200.

R15 is very much nimble and fun to ride, but the committed posture is a pain for both rider and pillion. Best alternative is MT15.

Here's what BHPian Oppanna had to say on the matter:

Based on your mentioned requirements i would pick Apache 200. It is a tried and tested machine out there.

R15 is a nice machine but are you ready to compromise on pillion comfort? Are you ok to ride in that aggressive position for 600 kms one side?

BHPian SaurAswale replied:

Totally agree with you @ Mr.Boss. But the problem is MT15 is launched recently compared to other two and I can't find one used in my budget. Although it'll be better fit, I had to exclude it from my list, same is the case for Duke 200 and CBR 250r both having higher running cost.

Exactly @Oppanna, this is where I'm stuck. Buying Apache is sensible. Though I will happily ride R15 for 600kms but I will not be a pillion for 50 kms. It'll be extremely selfish decision to buy R15. But as I said, I have been dreaming of the sportbike till now.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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