Finally some buzz on this thread
What were the limits - Max RPM & kmph
It sounds almost same. Actually I don't use choke when kick start-first firing up in cold mornings. Once the engine starts I apply .75 choke for a few seconds for warming up. My Gladi fires up in two kicks & idles fine.
1. Does changing to Iridium plugs require changing carb, YTPS settings? Is it in combo with hi-flow K&N?
2. What is the performance advantage of Iridium plugs?
3. Which plug are you using?

Thanks!

[quote]103kmph. Included with some of my humble leans and knees scraping the corners.
My Gladi doesnt have the RPM meter.

Thanks.That's one doubt gone.
1. No. I am using it without a K&N.
2. Negligible. But I have observed an increase in the mileage from the day I installed them. Also they last longer and the bike starts in one kick all the time,even in the cold season.
3. NGK Iridium IX CR7HIX. They cost around 550Rs. Bargain and you may get it down to 450/-.

My Intro as well as my latest experience

Well I own a Yamaha Fazer Dlx for the past 3 years and have clocked 33000 km. I had chosen the fazer over the Bajaj Dicover 125 for reasons like the Disc Brake, engine kill switch and big bike feel. Was also considering the Unicorn at the time i bought. Always feel that I should have gone for the Unicorn.

My bike has been a experiment machine for me. Ive spent a lot of time and money on my bike. i have changed the following in my bike :

1. the front fairing and headlight.
2. the front indicators.
3. Alloy wheels.
4. tail lamp.
5. also got the wheels, rear shock absorbers and the spoiler painted in black
6. P150 handlebar.
7. progrip handlebar grips.
8. installed LEDs for accenting the engine and tail section.
9. have tried and played around with the sprockets : used 39 T and 13 T.. I have also changed my chain-sprocket once.
10. Ive changed my rear tyre twice and my front once. And i prefer Dunlop as the brand. Tried MRF for the rear, and the tyre wore out really fast.
11. Ive also used all kinds of engine oils - But ive would prefer the Yamalube, its jack of all trades. And also the Veedol Semi Synthetic 20W50 .
12. Ive also my changed my clutch plates once at 12000 km.

My list of Problems :

1. The Bike has never been reliable at the mileage. it gives like 40 - 50 kmpl. On highways 55 kmpl.
2. The bearings just below the handlebar, have always been trouble maker. they keep making noises. and they cost way too much, around Rs 250. The guys at the SS have told me that this a problem with the gladiator and fazer. and its recommended to change them atleast every 15000 km.
4. All the fiber glass panels on the bike are just too fragile. Their locks and mountings tend to break easily.
5. Parts availabitly at the SS. None of the SS in bhopal have a good stock of the parts. its always been a struggle.
I had to ride without a speedometer cable for a month.
My bike's tale lamp brake light switch for the front brake hasnt got replaced for almost a year now.
They dont even have a air filter for my bike.
6. The bike demands too much maintenace on overall. You have to use the bike as a communter and cannot take the position of a power commuter.
7. The bolt that holds the nut for removing the engine oil has a crack. hence my engine oil used to leak. The SS recommended I had no other option other than changing my engine's casing. I dint want to open my engine. So what sealed the crack with M-Seal. So now whenever i want to change my engine oil, i need to open my clutch case.
8. The chain cover. Never fits in properly after servicing the chain ...
9. The useless stock horn. I have installed the pulsar's horn.
10. A very weak headlight beam both for the fazer fairing as well as the gladiator fairing

So Overall my experience hasnt been really good with the bike, Apart from the fact that its good looker, I am still asked by people if its a new bike. Well it handles really well. Great bike for touring. Wish Yamaha could have reduced the wheelbase slightly. The self starter is really good.

[quote=TomSawyer;180200]Finally some buzz on this thread

Ya...definitely......something....


What were the limits - Max RPM & kmph

I have touched 105 kmph...Chenneai-Banglore highway....was coming down a flyover, just opened up...it would not stop..the accelerator was just opening up..the bike was stable, just a half crouch, absolutely minimum vibes...really felt goood....

But you really need corners to enjoy the Gladi....thats where the gladi really is superb...otherwise nobody will ever know.....

It sounds almost same. Actually I don't use choke when kick start-first firing up in cold mornings. Once the engine starts I apply .75 choke for a few seconds for warming up. My Gladi fires up in two kicks & idles fine.

Same here....Choke helps in the morning....

Hey guys, glad i could find an all yamaha gladiator thread.

I have a gladiator ss... Been 7 months since i bought it... jus have a few questions guys...

1) i want to change the rear tyre... atleast one size up... would i be able to do this without changing the wheels... currently i have a 3.00x18" tyre? if i could, then wat tyre will be good n wat size exactly... n wat would be the cost?

2) I also wanted to fit a k&n filter. Do you think that a good option?

3) I read on this thread that one of the gladiator engines were upjetted.. wat does this mean? how would it increase performance? is it a feasable modification?

4) What oil should i use in my bike? I have heard a lot about synthetic oils.. Should i go in for one?? If yes, which one?

Hope i get a lot of good suggestions.. Keep this thread going guys.. Reading through this thread has been a lot of help.. Thanks all

^ liked that
^+1 there
Is it the same engine as on YBX. I see few of them in the neighbourhood in mint condition, running great. methinks it was one of the best commuter bikes that hit Indian roads.

Bet you are enjoying the SS. Post some pics. methinks changing tyre will mess the handling. If it were me, I'd explore the tubeless 3x18 option rather.
Regular Yamalube until 5k kms. Post 5k any *w/40 is ok. We are spoilt for choices - Motul, Castrol PowerOne, Veedol, Gulf, Petronas Sprinta, Agip...
We have an expert here, lets wait & watch.

Thanks for the suggestion Tom Sawyer. I'll stick to the 3x18", the only reason why i was wanting to change it was that i live in a not so developed part of bangalore. The roads are very sandy and get a bit slushy during rains. So i thought it would help if i changed the tyre. But yeah if handling is going to change, then the tyre change is a no for me. Because i love the handling on the bike. I'll post pics soon. I have a black and red gladi

Hmmm..okay... lot of options.. i guess we really are spoilt. I shall change my oil soon. I will let you know what i changed to as soon as i do. My bike has already clocked 6200kms so i guess i can change my oil.

okay.. i'm eagerly waiting... After i know wat i can and cant do.. i shall start saving money for the same...

The next time you go for a servicing ask the mechanic to take out the carburetor and show you the jet. It's actually a very thin pipe that lets fuel into the engine.
K&N or any aftermarket filters increase the amount of air going to the engine to form the air-fuel mixture. Fitting a K&N without upjetting (will come to that later) will make the bike run in a condition that is termed as 'lean'.In layman's terms:there's more percentage of air in the air fuel mixture but the amount of fuel is still the same. A bike running lean may siege after a long duration of running as the engine gets hot.
So to rectify this problem you need more fuel going in the engine so that the air fuel mixture balances out to ideal condition. This is done by jetting.
What people do is fit a bigger jet,hence more fuel goes into the engine. Hence the air fuel mixture is balanced.
Stock amount of fuel+Stock amount of air= Engine
More fuel+More air= Engine still

@TomSawyer : thanks u ... The engine of gladiator is born from the fazer itself. The YBX was another breed and didnt have much in common to the fazer or gladiator. The engines of the SS and RS have a slight difference when compared to the gladiator or fazer.

I would recommend you all to stick to one brand and one grade when it comes to engine oils. The gladiators dont heat up a lot hence a 20w40 oil is best grade. Dont try semi syntheitic or synthetic oils in the begining .. ie, upto 5k - 10k km.

Fully synthetic oild such as Castrol power1 racing and Motul 300v would have longer life and better viscousity over the long run but dont expect some real performance upgrade. I would prefer using a semi synthetic or a mineral over shorter periods and more frequent changes of engine oil at arnd 1500 - 2000 km.

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.

Thanks nightwing for the detailed explanation. helped me understand exactly how this works. I have a few more questions nightwing regarding this.
> Is there increase in performance after this is done??
> Have you done this on your own bike?? if yes, can you comment on how it feels, how the performance is in terms of power and fe.
> How much would such a setup cost??

I'm thinking there will be an upper limit to all the air+fuel we can pump in & burn, & not end up with an engine meltdown. So is it all trial and error, or are the limits defined.

P.S: Hoping that this wont spark of an OT upjetting discussion.

can u explain it a little more detailed , i didnt understand it completely

No I haven't done these mods on my Gladiator but I have helped a Type JA in getting K&N-ed and upjetted.
Yes,there's an increase in performance.Acceleration will go up. I cant comment on the top speed as I haven't taken that Gladiator to the limits. I am a......how should I put it......a restrained biker and happily trod along at 40-60 speeds all the time.
Mileage still depends on how you ride.
The K&N will cost in the region of Rs 1600-1700.

Thanks a lot nightwing.. I'll put some thought into fitting the k&n... If and when i do ill post some pics of it...

Guys recently i was surfin a site where a guy has fit leds in his instrument cluster in an alto... It looked really nice...

Can a similar thing be done on bikes?? Can leds be fit in the speedo, tacho and fuel gauge..

Sorry so many questions from me, but i really am a novice when it comes to bikes... I need to learn and i wish to learn a lot my about bike...