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.

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..

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.
__________________

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.

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//??

@ 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!!

Don't worry about your decision to buy the bike. To be honest, Buy any bike from a splendour to a r15. As long as you enjoy riding your bike and enjoy maintaining it you will enjoy the experience.

Just to give a small example, owners of old standard bullets, swear by their bikes even though there are constant niggles with the bike and a lot of time and energy is spent on maintaining the bike. So it just comes to enjoying your ride.

Just to reiterate. I don't think Gladiator is too much of a hassle maintenance wise. I don't know if the others will agree with me or not.

Just off the top of my head, these are the parts I have replaced: Sprocket, Clutch Plates, Disk pads when they wore off, I changed my filter to a foam type from a paper type, naturally my tyres needed a change (although my front tyre is still to be replaced), spark plugs i guess a couple of times.

Those are all the parts I can remember.

44,000 kms is not too much actually. Its just that i ride a lot while commuting within the city itself. I do not have too much experience on long rides with the bike. I'll surely try and write a review when I can.

Yeah, I have started enjoying the ride.. specially at speeds of around 70kmph..
The bike feels great at that speed.. Rode stunner before.. (friend's bike); but it vibrates a lot at that speed.. anything above 60 kmph is a pain if u r riding a stunner..
rode suzuki zeus before that.. it was also more or less good.. But gladi is simply awesome.. It feels so grounded and there's no vibration at all..
sometimes despite traffic, I dont feel like slowing down the bike.. But then ultimately I have to.. can't afford to land in a hospital..
anything above 40 kmph in a gladi is great..



Will anxiously wait for ur review.. was reading all the posts from page 1.. I really enjoy doing that..

Well i do agree with it . Until now the expenses on bike occurred were due to the accidents made by me. Otherwise no hassle yet. Though my bike did had an issue from engine near 14k kms, it was sorted out by the yamaha guys as it was in warranty period.
Its more like my bike is lucky for me. Had a lot of incidents where i could get to an hospital easily but luck just saved me. Incidents like encountering a brick at speeds of 80-90 on NICE road at night etc.
Well I dont think am eligible to comment on this since my bike is now modded & no more a stock gladiator. But the mods were done at around 20k kms & i faced NO ISSUE till then.

Yeah.. saw the pic of ur bike.. what modifications did u make//??

@prashant
@madhav

Guys at what interval do u change the engine oil/??
Mine has crossed ~1300kms since last oil change .. When should I change the engine oil/???

Hi Guys,

I am planning to buy SS125 in july.
Now, I am 25 and totally new to biking. I will learn to ride on this one. Is it a good decision? I mean is it safe for a newbie?
I am from Bhubaneswar. I enquired and it is 61,600 on road and available.
I think the price is a little high, isn't it?

Also, I do not yet have a driving licence.
Do I need one while purchasing a bike?

I think 'Learning how to ride' is comparatively easy in this bike.. as I think the clutch is not that sensitive when compared to a stunner or a p135.. So I guess it is absolutely safe..

Abt the price of the bike.. I dont think its too high if u consider the price of the baby pulsar and the stunner (again)
I am comparing it with the p135 and the stunner coz these 3 bikes (which includes SS125) are the real winners in this category..
Stunner provides u with short pickup, P135 with pickup as well as mid range torque.. whereas SS125 is all abt comfort, and vibe free rides at high range speed (40-90 kmph)..

Please correct me if I am wrong!!

I was talking about the price at BBSr part, not comparing with other bikes.
After budget, prices increased a lot it seems.

Also, could you guys please help me with the licence part?
Can I purchase a vehicle without licence?

I think the price is justified. I bought an SS125 3 months ago in Hyderabad and it cost me 64000 (including road tax which is the highest in Hyderabad as compared to other major cities).

You don't need a license to buy a bike, but you need it to ride it, of course. I hope you are not planning to ride it without a valid license. If that is the case, please get atleast a learner's license before you even take the bike out of the dealership.

Yeah, I will have atleast a learner before purchase. Thanks.