@ prashant, boy u r so experienced with ur gladiator.. 44,000 kms is not a joke!!
why dont u write down an ownership review on ur experience with the gladiator..
Guess it will be a lot of help as well as fun to read for all of us..
Think about it!!

44000kms.. Awesome bro!! Now I dont feel scared anymore..
To b honest, I was doubting on my decision of buying this bike which had already done 22,000 kms.. but now i am feeling much better!!

Never came across the term engine braking.. Went to a SVC to buy an air-filter.. bt it was nt available.. said that it will take atleast 10 days.. guess they are too bsy wid the new r15sss & the fzsss!!!

can u plz share wht parts u have changed till date//??

10 secs is definitely not a bad time for the bike to decelerate. 50kmph to 40kmph deceleration is normal i would believe. Engine braking they call it.

All i can say is that it is a very generalised statement that ronak has made. I have completed 44,000 kilometers on my bike now. I have a lot of highway on my way home so sometimes give my bike the beans. But as far as i can see my bike is facing no problems. There are signs of rust, which can be taken care of. Change of sprocket, bearings etc is something that you will have to do in any bike that u buy. I have had no problem with my fuel tank.

A scrap from lakhanironak has almost scared me.. [page no.12]
This is what he has to say..


At 30000 km plus the gladiators and fazers would require lots of maintanance and be prepared for it. If uve been rippin really hard throughout the previous 30000 km and even if uve done ur regular services, it will still require that extra bit of maintanance.

Following parts might need replacement :
1. Clutch Plates
2. Piston
3. Piston Rings
4. Valve Seals

You can diagnose your bike in the folllowing way :

In the fourth/fiifth (final) gear at a speed of about 50 kmph ,apply ur brake so that the speed reduces to around 25-30, Now give full throttle and just check the lag in the acceleration. The engine wouldnt knock but it neither would the RPM increase rapidly. after waiting with ur throttle at full for about 5 - 10 seconds you could observe a sudden burst in power.

Your bike would constantly give mileage figures of less than 40 kmpl no matter how you ride.

Exhaust would be throwing either black or grey smoke on giving throttle when the bike is at standstill. Grey indicates that engine oil is being burnt and Black indicates that fuel isnt being burnt incompletely.

Also the bike would need a change in sprocket - chain set.

Also the Handlebar assembly would need a change of bearings.

Always try to keep your Fuel tank out of rust. Water easily seeps through the fuel cap of our bikes.

Also at every 10k km change the spark plug and air filter.
__________________

No, I didnt see any smoke coming out of the exhaust.. Bt the engine sounds as if there's sand there inside the engine.. its hard to explain..

decceleration happens in any gear at any speed.. 50kmph was jst an eg.
It happens in say 10 secs. Within 10 secs the bike falls to say 40kmph from 50kmph..

Unless the bike has been without a service for a long time. I don't see how your pistons have worn out. Do u have a smoke coming for your exhaust or less power or is your engine oil getting over fast? These are some symptoms seen very often when piston rings wear out. If you don't see them then I suggest you visit a different mechanic.

Which gear are you using while you leave the clutch? Bike is meant to decelerate.

Thanks prashanth.. bt I wud still like to know the list of spare parts that needs attention.. bcoz I am v confused.. eg. my local mechanic wz telling me the other day that the piston might have worn out as the engine is creating loud noises.. so the nxt question tht comes is, wht is the price of the pistons!!
The bike is facing a strange problem.. When I leave d accelerator at a speed of say 50kmph, d bike deaccelerates in no time to a speed of 40kmph.
This does not happen so quickly if I press the clutch after leaving the accelerator.
The mechanic too failed to figure out the problem.. And I dont have the guts to go to a service centre before getting a rough estimate of how much they are going to charge me!!

Pick up is something all gladiator owners talk about. Yes, it does not feel torqeuy, if i may say, like other bikes. However, the pick up is more or less fine. Just play with the throttle and there should not be any problems.

Like u said, the chain might need replacement and the stock tyres too in sometime. I don't think you should keep aside any money for spare parts. It will depend on the wear of the parts of your bike. I was able to ride with some parts for much longer than the company's claims. I guess the next big expense will come when you have to change the clutch plates. I don't thing you will have to spend on much before that.

hello everyone.. I had bought a 2nd hand Gladiator which had already done 22,000 kms.
Its has been six months now and I have added another 1,500 km to it.
Seems like the bike is still wearing its stock parts.. (stock tyres, stock chain etc). And its running more or less fine..

Now the problem is that I find the bike very slow in terms of pickup. can u guys plz give me some tips on how I can increase its pickup..

2> More importantly, what are the parts that u think, might require a replacement?

3> And what budget should I keep aside (approx) as a expense of spare parts/??

ur help will b highly appreciated.. Thank u.

Back after a long time. U most probably would have changed ur tyre already. Anyway, I would recommend that you not go for a moto-c or other buttoned tyres. I have dunlop monster myself and I dont find it very comfortable. If you ride off road a lot then it might be a good option. However, if its 90% on road then I would recommend you go for something like the Zapper Q.

It takes a little bit of getting used to the power of the bike. Just have to play with the accelerator a little more to get proper feedback from the engine. If you rev the bike enough you can even take off from a near standstill in third gear. Yeah you can take it above 5k. Make sure you run in the bike at all speeds and different rpms. Bike settles in better.

I would say not much can be done. Most of the people who have done something to better the illumination have modified the setup and rewound the coil to at least may way for 55/60 bulb.

The stock headlamp provides poor illumination. Has someone tried replacing the stock bulb?

What can be done to improve the illumination without having to change any of the other stock setup?

Any direct fit bulbs that come to mind?

I've completed about 1100 Kms on my 2 month old SS125.

The bike is smooth but the pick up is poor. Sometimes it struggles to pull in second gear in traffic. Once I rev it beyond 3.5k things return to normal. Haven't revved it beyond 4.5k rpm yet since I'm in run in period.

Planning to go beyond 5k rpm after 1500 Kms on the odo. Will that be safe for the engine?

Also, what rpm do you guys normally ride the bike at while on the open road with no traffic?

Sorry for the late reply but regarding the cost part you better mail joel.

@all, Guys the tyres on my bike are nearly at the end of their service life. Will require a replacement. Was running on stocks till now & 21,000 kms on the odo. How is mrf moto-c compared to stock??

Any other suggestions are also welcome.

38 psi in the rear during summers sounds like too much...aren't you worried that it may burst due to high temperature?

I am maintaining 26 PSi at Front (Stock Zappers) and 38 PSi at rear (Dunlop Monsters). While on stock zappers, I used to maintain 36 psi at the rear.

BTW seems like not too many Gladiator owners active here in this forum. Today i happened to come by a Red & Black gladiator (SS Type) with xBHP stickers on his panels. Location : MG Road, Bangalore. Not sure who it is...haven't met anyone personally here.