Re: Interceptor 650 Twin


ha ha ha .Thanks mate i ll consider that, need to check some reviews also.

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Two weeks ago i rode bike nearly 3 hours, in rain, muddy and water locked roads. Back home i washed chain and Tyre and the rest i thought to do next day because of heat. Unfortunately i didn't touch bike for a week and later i found rust on the chain and the engine block. I have washed using shampoo and diesel but it didn't go.

I have noticed pale yellowish colour on the left side of the engine block during my first visit to see my bike. And during my first ride it changed to burned steel. Later it looked like a fugues infection, small circles, and once i rubbed using cleaner that changed to small dot of rust. I have used a brass metal cleaning powder it did go but now that entire place is filled by small dots of rust.

Apart from these three parts the engine, silencer joint and chain rest of the bike is holding really well thanks to RE QC.
My second service is due so i will check with RE service. Any other suggestion to keep bike in rainy season and also is there any way we can remove rust from engine block silencer joint and also the chain( may be that will go after riding). Powder coating may be an option. One of my friend used 3M on his GT650, he has blackened the entire engine block like triumph and he said there is slight reduction of heat also.
Please see the rusty photos

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin


This looks bad , shoot a mail to Royal Enfield with these pics posted along as proof and also raise a complaint with your service center. This should not have happened. Rust on chain is common but on the other parts it should not be there.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

Thanks i ll do that, i have seen some standard 350s like this and thought it is common due to heavy rain in our region ,but i think i will have to take this seriously.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

I am also facing the same issue & saw another gt650 in the same condition in the service centre. I have also shot a mail to RE but nothing has happened yet. Seems the quality of chrome is questionable. It seems it would have been better if RE had blackened out the engine & the silencers instead of using dubious quality chrome. Mine rusted just after I used it for a single day in the rain.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

The issue looks legit and it is bad on part of re, they have in the initial batch replaced the Disc brake and exhaust pipes for the same issue. I have seen few older post from guys who have got bikes in very first lot before January, but now those posts are deleted.
Raise the matter try and get hold of ASM and also lodge a complaint with National consumer helpline, also tag sid lal on Twitter along with are make insta post and fb post , that is how these companies responds to issues.
This should not be the case , I had two res in past and never had rust any where on engine or the exhaust, it was only on the bolts.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

This is inevitable on any chrome dashed bike. The muck that our conditions offer, coupled with hard water will definitely ruin the chrome sooner or later eventually. The best way is to rechrome them or repaint them to a matte finish color apart from gloss. Chrome can and will rust eventually, it slowly starts as a spot somewhere and slowly it spreads. You might be happy that your bike is spic and span the other day and one fine day, all of a sudden during a DIY, you will spot rusting out of nowhere and lo and behold, the panic attack.

Chrome definitely are a pain point to maintain, especially full chromed bikes. Though the chrome at the points you've mentioned can be masked and won't be visible unless a keen eye notices it. Any rusting or rust spots on full chrome bike, especially the fuel tank and exhaust headers, is definitely an eye sore for everyone looking at the bike.

Eventually, it's either RE that gets blamed or the condition of our roads and the hard water that we use, but the sad part and ultimate truth is, chrome needs special attention. They need to be taken care of in a meticulous manner to maintain their look and sheen. Ignore them for a few months, and you'll see them in dual-tone.

Cheers!
VJ

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

Thanks for your kind advise. Would wait for few more days to see if there is any positive response from RE & then I would approach consumer forum

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin


Thanks mate, when i bought my bike i thought i ll keep them with out any rust and scratch, well it seems that's a bit of a problem, anyway i have send a mail to RE they replied me to get in touch with service center, lets see how do they solve this, otherwise its going to be what "Ijs" said

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

I had machismo 350lb the full Chrome one for five years, that was very problematic and fun bike. It had many issues but surface rust wasn't one, though the engine casing was spoiled by overflowing battery.
But rust was only on the bolts nowhere else.
I am from Delhi.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

Delhi doesn't face this kind of issue, you don't have the coast. This is a problem that's endemic to Mumbai, Chennai and other coastal areas where we have a lot of salt nearby.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

True that , bur still the amount of rust is a case of concern and re should look into it.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

What you have on chain is rust. What you have on engine case is NOT rust. Rust cannot form on aluminum and engine casings are pressure-die casted alloys of aluminum. This material is prone to oxidation but over much longer time. These are also highle affected by chemicals, acids, alkaline. Stuff like battery water, off cleaner, mild acid cleaners, a dash of vinegar, etc can affect these surfaces. These engine casing are not chrome plated, but just polished and buffed to get a finish close to chrome. So these have to be maintained well and proceeded from accidental exposure to harmful liquids. In certain cases, the quality of the material can be sub-standard leading to various surface deformations as well. The slight yellowish colour may also be due to the mud.dust colour around the area where bike is been operating. The exhaust joinery is some sort of tape mark. RE is taping those area for god knows what (am guessing to prevent rust formation before delivery). And remove those tapes before delivery.
So chain rust is normal. Even imported bikes will have this issue if the chain is dry and subjected to high moisture content environment such as monsoons. Just clean it well with kerosene/diesel/wd40 and apply chain lube/gear oil and this should be fine. Take extra caution to maintain and lube chain well during monsoon, esp when the bike is not being used. The marks on the engine casing is serious isse. see if you can get them replaced under warranty, as they are not rust.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

OK! so you are saying this can not be rust, well i was about to twitt this matter to sid lal, i am going to take it to showroom tomorrow, i think if i can get them replaced sounds good. i am not sure exhaust end is tape mark becuase it was so clean when i saw first time, actually that was the first thing i checked on my bike because of a blog from an owner. And i took delivery, and on the third day exposed to rain and next day morning saw light coffee brown colour, and now like this.

I may be under lubed chain for sure this time, after my first service there where lube all over the rim and chain casing so i decided to apply little i ll take care of that next time. I am using chain lube from RE and diesel for chain, is it ok?,
I am using local car wash liquid for cleaning bike, that may caused this? any suggestion for bike cleaner.

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Well if this is Aluminum corrosion due to oxidation then it is not a big issue other than ugly looks. Most of car engines are die cat aluminum, it looks ugly and stays like that until it reach scrapyard , but unlike bike no one will notice that. any idea about aluminum cleaner or something we can apply our own?

found an old thread-https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/help-me/32583-engine-cover-polishing-maintenance-aluminium-chrome.html

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Me from Kerala, one side sea another side rain forest in between rivers, lakes ponds there is no journey with out crossing a river or watching see and where i live is actually an island. So this may be normal here. I am going to wait for solution from RE lets see what are they going to do about this.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

Chain rust is common in coastal areas especially in monsoons. Nothing much to worry about. Just lube it with any chain lube or gear oil. Will be good if the chain is slightly warm before you apply lube. Let it sit for a while then wipe the excess lube with a clean lintfree cloth. That way, it will splash less on the tyre/rim. Alternatively u can also try wax based lube from the likes of tribocor. They stick well and dont fling off. With regular chain maintenance and regular riding, it should be fine. For chain cleaning, kerosine, diesel works well, else you can also use branded chain cleaners which is expensive option. One line of thought is that kerosine and diesel affect the rubber chain lube sealing ring, but there is no concrete evidence on that hence a lot of people use them as cheaper alternative for cleaning chain.

For the engine case, do take it to service center and ask for cover replacement if feasible. Those marks can be a result to various reasons and will be difficult to pin point. For general buffed aluminium surface such as these, there are few polishes available for those who like to polish and keep them new. FOr most of us, general care is good enough. As long as the surface is uniform (unlike in your present case), we can always restore the sheen with a buffing pad attached to a drill machine. Let us know what the service center findings are.

Re: Interceptor 650 Twin

Anyone using bar end mirrors on their bike? Are they any good?