Sorry for not updating this thread in a bit. Have been a wee bit busy.

I have clocked about 250 kms on the odo and these are my 1st impressions.

1. Leg guard not available in the showroom yet. They said that they are expecting it in a week and will inform me once they have it.
2. The bike was wobbling , so took it back to the showroom. The mechanic checked the spokes and tightened a bolt in the chassis but the wobbling remained. He then took the bike to a nearby puncturewala , deflated the rear tyre and oiled the sides which come in contact with the rim and reinflated the tyre. The wobbling seems to have stopped.
3. The switch of the headlight was not making proper contact so the headlight would come on at certain times and sometimes it was not coming on. The mechanic opened the assembly and cleaned the terminals poured a bit of petrol and the light switch seems to have become ok. On the flip side I have realised that the tail light is remaining on even when the lights are not switched on so this will perforce entail another trip in the next day or two.
4. The riding position is good and it is a bit of a pain not to use the throttle. Have been maintaining the 50-60 speed and have ridden mostly on the noida- greater noida expressway.
5. The engine sound is on the higher side and the gears feel a bit notchy. Hope this will become better after the 1st service.
6. I had filled up the tank to the brim the 1st day I got the bike and the fuel average that we can see on the speedometer dial is 27 kmpl. I don't know how accurate this . Also the fuel level indicator is one notch above the halfway mark after the 250 kms done .
7. Have been using an old helmet of mine, need to go Karol Bagh and locate some decent kit.
8. Have been using the kickstart when I start the bike for the 1st time in the day with the choke lever puled and its starts without any issues on the first kick.
9. The bike does seem to attract a lot of attention wherever I go. There was a japanese / Korean tourist who was taking a picture of me riding the bike on the expressway. Yesterday I went to the sector 18 market to pick up some kathi rolls and a bunch of youngsters came over to have a look and ask me some questions about the bike.

Hi buddy.. it is not the fuel average which is displayed on the speedometer. It is the average speed for that particular trip (trip A or trip B). A lot of people (including me) had mistaken that number as being the mileage...

Update after 2nd Free Service

I too got my headlight re-adjusted at yesterday's servicing. The mechanic said it would be done by simply loosening the side bolts and adjusting the headlight assembly. (No adjusting of internal bulb filament etc etc). Took the beast for a good 45 min ride yesterday night to check out the difference in the headlight focus. It's much better than earlier. The low beam is spread out much more further than before. However, now the high beam seems slightly high I guess I'll take the bird out for another ride tonight on a pitch black road and double check.

Regarding the fuel gauge, the supervisor at the ASC admitted that the company had received quite a few complaints from the new Thunderbird owners regarding the fuel gauge.. He said he'll try and check the fuel sensor etc etc. But I could see that he wasn't very confident that the problem would be solved. I am not keeping any hopes on the fuel gauge issue being rectified. Better to get used to it being that way.

The overall performance of the bike has improved after the 2nd servicing. Running is much smoother and engine sound is consistent and pleasant to the ear. Gear shifting has also improved and the beast is running much more smoother and effortlessly than before I feel..

By the way, as per the chart mentioned in the service manual, engine oil change is not mentioned for the 2nd service. However, the ASC supervisor said that they follow a practice of changing the engine oil at each and every service. He said that it helps especially in case of a new bike bcoz since the engine is new, there is quite a bit of wear and tear of the internal parts in the process of 'tuning' the engine; and that changing the oil helps clean out the wear & tear particles etc. I decided to trust his knowledge and so went ahead with his opinion.. So far so good

Thanks for the tip . I will check the fuel economy with the tank full method tomorrow as I am planning a short trip to jewar on the taj expressway to finish of the running in.

Also for all the thunderbird 500 riders from Delhi and the NCR I have started a facebook page where we can organise rides. Feel free to chip in with your comments and suggestions.
Delhi 500cc Motorcycle Club | Facebook

Cool.. Let me know how you go about calculating using the tank full method.. I'll try it out too

The tankful method is really quite simple. What you need to do is fill the tank up to the brim the 1st time and note the distance reading on the odometer or alternatively reset one of the trip meters. After riding for a bit get anther tank full and note the number of litres requires to top up the tank.
Thereafter, divide the kilometres by the litres of fuel filled to get your average.


I got my second tankful today and filled in 7.740 ltrs of petrol.

My 1st tank full was at 5 kms on the odometer and at the time of the 2nd tankful the mileage was 335 kms.

Therefore the mileage my bike is giving is 330/7.74 = 42.63 km per litre.

I must say I am happily surprised .

Went for a ride to Jewar on the Agra expressway and have got 470 kms on the odometer now. The spanner icon has started flashing in the instrument panel which I presume means that the bike is due for its service.

I also noticed that the front brakes were making a squealing sound. I cant wait to open up the bike after getting it serviced tomorrow.

Here are some pics that I took with my phone from the ride today.

Fantastic pics! Both the beast and the highway make for a great combo Regarding the tankfull method, I guess the slightly tricky part would be filling the tank right up to the brim, while ensuring that there is an air gap left for fitting the tank cap properly.. Overfilling would be a problem otherwise..

Thanks !! With regards to the tank full method just fill it till you get the autocutoff on the fuel pump, even if there is a slight variation after a few tankfulls , the average variation will get adjusted and you will know approximately what you are getting.


Update:


Got the bike serviced yesterday and its riding like a dream, the clutch has smoothened out and the torque feels amazing. Pulled it till about 90 and had a brilliant couple of short rides. The new thing I noticed thereafter is that the instrument panel light remains on even during the day, not sure if this is by accident or design. As far as I know the instrument panel lights should come on only after the parking lights are switched on. Will ride down to the service station tomorrow and check with them, seem to be a lot of teething troubles with the RE.


Went to Karol Bagh today and have picked up a new helmet, bluetooth speaker system, leg guards and a rear tail box today. Also got a ciggarette lighter 12v female socket installed. Will post pics tomorrow.


Also lost my old helmet at one of the shops

Pics of the new accessories as promised.

Pricing for those interested.

Helmet Vega Boolean 1450 Quoted 1950
Leg Guard Heavy Pipe 1250
Cigarette Lighter 150
Box : 2000
Bluetooth Interphone : 2200 Quoted 2500
Cellphone mount from ebay : 500

Fitting charges
Leg Guard + 12 V Outlet = 50+150
Rear Box : 180 (Drilling for stand) + 100 Fitting

I had actually planned on getting the Studds Ninja 3g but it was not fitting straight in the helmet box and also the guys did not have it in white. Therefore I had to get the Vega Boolean instead.

Is that a bluetooth ?? Is it coming along this Vega Helmet ? or it's your fitment?
Can you please shed some lights on this stuff.. ?

Hi BWAR,
Could you please send some pics with the brackets you used to hold the Tail Box. Are there any other models available in the market in Delhi. I am posting a pic of the one i am looking out for. Will really appreciate if you could check in Delhi. In Mumbai have seen couple of places however they don't have it.

Yes this an interphone bluetooth being imported by vega and is available seperately. Ebay india has some of them starting from 4500 rupees its available in Karol Bagh for 2500 rupees. I got mine for 2200 with a bit of bargaining. Its main features are:
1. Phone
2. Music
3. Built in FM Radio
4. Bluetooth Intercom for upto 3 riders who pair their sets together.

Ebay USA and UK websites have advanced models for about 3000-3500 rupees which have a much better bluetooth intercom range and pairing for upto 8 riders. Of course there are more expensive ones as well which will cost you 3-4 times this amount. I thought this particular unit suited me just fine as my basic use is for the phone and listening to soft music while riding.

The one I have is the newer version of the GIVI model as shown in my pics above . The one you have shown is not being manufactured anymore according to the dealer. He had one gathering dust outside his shop. I got it from Chopra Helmets on the main Karol Bagh Street for 2000 rupees. The tail bracket had two holes which were not aligned with the thunderbid. I had to get three holes drilled in the rear of the bike to get the box fitted. Cost of fitting along with drilling was Rs. 280/-.

Thanks man. I am searching a bluetooth helmet in mumbai, but no success.

Maybe someone from Mumbai can help you. Post your requirement in the Bike Gear thread . In case all else fails, order online.

BT Interphone + Handsfree Bluetooth for Motorcycle and Skiing Helmet (5-Hour Tal | eBay

Will check the puncture sealant. Local RE Dealer said he has ordered some RIMS and should come in a month.