kamikaze

Hey,

I have bad bad news to share with you guys. I had the misfortune to be at a juncture where I had to part with one of my two trusty steeds :

a) A 4 year old Pulsar 220, which I had raised from birth, presently, in absolute good health, having been fed Motul 300V FL since 5k kms
b) A 2006 RE Thunderbird, which a friend had entrusted in my care, in exchange for a certain sum of money some 8-9 months back. It had been standing in his parking lot for a year now, and in no time, I nourished it back to health

However, the strain of keeping both of them had taken its toll on me. I must admit here, that I had degraded to the level where I began picking favourites. The newly acquired RE was what accompanied me for most of my rides, while the pulsar, in a way my own flesh and blood, was being neglected
So recently, I let go of the T'bird.
Then came the time to revive the pulsar, and I was at it for two days with top grade shampoo and a lot of WD-40, and it looked as good as new, however now, while riding, I wistfully, sometimes, do remember the T'bird. And this feeling is accentuated to a great degree by the unbearable pain in my bum from a long ride, and my gonads being beaten to a pulp whenever I encounter a bad stretch of downhill road.


I saw Ken_cool's 220 in this post: Indo-French Joint Venture 2010: Ride in North India, Leh and Beyond!

It looks good, but , I appreciate it more in the sense that the mods are very functional indeed. The handle bars do seem a bit less unrelenting on the wrists, and the removal of the fairing actually makes sense, because if I believe correctly, it costs around 7k, and has a high probability of being damaged in case of a fall. If you dont mind, Ken, maybe you could tell me of your experience with the handlebars, and rounded headlamp as well ? And where in Delhi might I be all of this done, and the associated costs ?

I need help with some other issues as well guys, and I really be thankful if you could help me out with these:

a)I was thinking of putting in a stronger bulb, say Philips Extreme Power (70 or 100 W) in the headlamp, which would help with the night riding. I believe it would be a straight fit in the existing holder, but not sure if that would be the case if I went for the older rounded headlamp (like Ken_cool's) and dome.

b)Is it possible to have handlebars that are a tad higher, cause I think that would release pressure off both the wrists and the gonads a bit, what with it improving the sharp angle of seating a bit. But Im sure there must be downsides to this, in terms of maneuverability.

c) Would there be more comfy seats available, or maybe something of a more softer material ( ex - the ones Khajanchi makes for Enfields, in Karol Bagh, in New Delhi)

d) Someone recommended a monoshock suspension. Is that practical ? would that help ?

Thats all i can think of right now. Feel free to chip in whatever you guys think might help or be useful.

Cheers

sunilg

topic approved.

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shv18

Bro do you find the projector lamps not sufficient for night riding?? if you have decent crash guards and ok riding skills you need not go for removing the panel assembly.

is your 220 FI or carb one? 220 indeed has more than enough grunt to do ladakh effortlessly.
However, at high altitudes as shared by fellow riders, the carb version bikes will witness reduction in power because of lesser air density unlike FI version where the ecu will automatically adjust the AFR to provide ample power.

My two cents:

1) the only thing that i can think of is putting better off-roading tyre in the rear michelin sirac... should be around 2800 - 3000 bucks

2) seat cushioning can be done by local shops within 600-700 bucks...

3) you can also look at Get Off - The Store for saddle bag which comes equipped with rain cover and has extended storage capacity of upto 70+ ltrs if i remember correctly. tank bags, you can check at www.rawadventures.co.in

4) the usual tool kits: puncture repair kit, spare clutch & accelerator cables, foot pump, first aid and tablets for altitude mountain sickness.

5) if you still feel that your bike is under powered, one can always get in touch with the dark arts master modder: joel anna. check out this link: Race Concepts - Pulsar 220/200 goodies

6) mono shocks not needed... stock will do just fine...you can probably go for a bit softer setting for more comfort on bumpy roads... but if i were you would leave it to stock setting.

cheers

velociraptor13

some from my side
1-remove the fairing to maybe a round one or retain the stock set up sans the fairing(in this way if the main one conks off the upper beam can be used)
2-A good set of offroad tyres.
3-a mobile charger to charge your gps and mobile
4-water bottle holders
5-a spare spot lamp(clamped to the leg guard) in case if the stock one conks off,or plonk in an hid onto it,hella 500s or 550s are the best.
6-retain the saree guard,quite helpful to fasten the bungee cords.
7-Keep the bike stock as much as possible.

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