re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Thanks a lot, Loner.

Lean fuel mixture, that was exactly the problem. Got the carb settings adjusted and also did a plug chop. Everything's perfect now, except that my bike takes time to start up.

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Got your TB yet, dude??

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re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Need some help guys. I had completed the 2nd Free service of my new TBTS last month. Past 2 weeks I have been noticing that when I try and accelerate, the bike chokes and there is a drop in RPM and then picks up speed again. I am guessing it is because of a dirty air filter.
Also, I have been riding it in the rains. Could it be that water has got into the tank?

Could someone please tell me what could be the other possible causes?

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Guys, any info?

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences



Bro I have the same problem ....
What i can say is that it can happen for any one of the below reasons :
1-> there was dirt in the tank and it went inside the carb chocking the carb jets.
2-> the electrical connections ... some problem with it.
3-> or if not the above ones then some bigger problem with ur carb for sure ....

Its not at all for the water in the tank and all .... believe me it cannot ....
Just get it checked from the service centre ....
what i have experienced is that it generally happens due to electrical problem present ....

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Well after 7 months of trouble-free 'honeymoon' ownership experience, my TB 350 finally gave me its first problem. The SELECT and SET buttons on the instrument console just stopped working completely all of a sudden! Ekdum se out of the blue.. I tried pressing and holding the button, turning the ignition off & on and then re-trying pressing the buttons, but to no avail. The buttons just stopped responding. However, the Hazard light button was working absolutely fine throughout this whole time. So that confused me even further. I had just returned from a monsoon bike trip in Konkan and had ridden through extremely heavy rain. So i thought that perhaps some rainwater may have seeped through inside the panel from somewhere, and this might be causing the problem. But then, how come the hazard light button was still working in this case? This question was bothering me.
Also, just 2 days before, I had got the bike spray washed from a washing centre. After the wash, I could see some moisture trapped inside the speedometer and RPM meter glass panels. This had not happened during my bike trip in the rain. So I thought that maybe some water had seeped in from the side edges of these panels (where the chrome cover meets the rubber lining) during the spray washing, and maybe this had caused the set & select buttons to malfunction.

So I took the bird to the ASC (Dhone auto @ Market yard, Pune) yesterday. The mechanic said that the internal 'software' would have to be re-installed and that this is an outside job (he said that RE has itself outsourced/authorized such jobs to that third party provider) so I will have to leave my bike with them for 1-2 days. Yesterday being a saturday, I didnt want to give away my bike during the weekend, so I told them that I would return on monday.

Later yesterday evening, just for the sake of it, I tried operating the set & select buttons once again, and wonder of wonders...they started working again! As if nothing had happened at all.. I was completely surprised and so tried operating them thoroughly, just in case they had started working again by fluke. However, once they had miraculously recovered, they continued to work fine thereafter..

Obviously, now I wont make the trip to the ASC on monday (frankly, most of the staff there are dumb confused ppl and just need excuses to keep the bike with them). However, I am a little concerned after this whole experience. Just wanted to know, has anyone else faced any similar issues with those set/select buttons? If yes, plz do give some inputs..

Also, has anyone else experienced moisture/water on the inside of the speedometer/RPM meter glass panels? Any solution to this problem?

Oh and by the way, my prolonged use of saddle bags during my monsoon bike trip has taken its first toll on the saree guard paint. But more on that in the next post (with suitable pictures)

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Ok another update. The SET/SELECT buttons have stopped working again. Now I was damn pissed. Being a sunday, I decided to play mechanic and see whether water seepage is the cause of the problem. So armed with a screwdriver and toolkit, I opened up the underside of the instrument console. Found out that there are 2 small circuit boards (with a press switch mounted on each board) for the SET and SELECT buttons respectively. Surprisingly, there was ZERO trace of any water/moisture in that area. So water seepage was definitely ruled out as a possible cause.



Initially, I thought that proper contact is not taking place between the rubber button (the actual SET/SELECT button that we press) and the internal press switch of the circuit board. But later, I slightly pulled out the actual circuit and thought that let me see if it works by directly pressing the circuit board switch. So I turned on the ignition and directly pressed the switch mounted on the circuit board. Even then, the select button functionality did not work. Pressing and holding did not help either.

I have no knowledge about electronics etc, but I think I can safely say that whatever is the issue, it must be a circuit related problem. Now I have no option but to visit the ASC tomorrow and hand over the bike to those ppl.

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29 July 2013
Today's update regarding my TB 350's instrument console issue. I had given my bike to the ASC today morning. The supervisor told me that in all probability, the problem must be bcoz of water entering inside (he said that a lot of TB owners had come recently with similar complaints, and that all of their issues were due to water seeping inside). He said that bcoz of water leakage, some amount of carbon deposition takes place on the inside part of the push button, and this causes the buttons to stop working. He assured me that the problem is minor and that he will personally check it, and that I will be able to collect my bike by evening.

So I went by his assurance, and reached the ASC in the evening to collect the bike. I met the supervisor and got a huge shock (don't worry, it was in a good way) after hearing what he told me. Apparently, he had opened up the entire console assembly but he was unable to troubleshoot/find the exact cause of the buttons malfunctioning. So he decided to replace the ENTIRE instrument console!! And the bike being within warranty period, that's what he actually did!

So basically, my TB 350 has got a completely new instrument console, and the only sad part about this is that the odometer reading is back to zero my 5000 kms of riding achievement is no longer there on the odometer I feel like some Test cricketer whose 5000 international runs have been wiped off from the records, and now i have to make my debut and start all over again..

Anyway, I am extremely grateful to that supervisor for his immense help and prompt service. In fact he also told me that normally, one would have to wait for 15 days for the spare product to arrive from the company, but luckily they had it in stock so the job was done on that day itself.

So then, SET/SELECT button problem solved. Now regarding getting back my 5000 kms, I guess I will have to do a Pune-Leh-Pune trip sometime soon!

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Totally unacceptable, IMO. What will be my fate, if it happens after 12 months/10 k km [warranty period]? Already, the coating in my TB500's petrol tank has started peeling off. I shudder to think of things waiting to happen after the warranty. The quality control in Royal Enfield neither has quality nor control, it seems.

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

I Am Sagar From Bangalore,I Bought A Thunderbird (TBTS) On After Much Of Searching And Much Exploring My Own Requirements.I Thought I Had Bought The Best Bike Brand Out There Over Indian Market Which Indeed Took Whole Of My Hard Earned Money And RE DELIVERED MY BIRD ON 08/02/2013...Next Day Morning I Noticed Sound Coming From Engine Side As Soon As I Have Started.


1)When I Complained In Service Center(Also Mentioned In 1st Service After 525kms) They Said ..That Is Nothing, Coil Has To Be Heated Up Then It Eliminates The Sound And Also Suggested Me To Raise The Idling Greater Than 1000rpm For '1'Min As Soon As I Kick Start The Bike,So That You Will Not Hear That Sound. ---- IS This Correct Or Anything Wrong In My BIRD. But I Have Never Heard A Sound From My Friend's Bike.


2)From Last Three Days I Am Hearing A Different Sound(Kit...Kit...Kit... Tappet Touching The Engine Top)From The Engine As Soon As I Start The Bike After A Long Time(1-2hrs Gap),After Driving Some Distance The Sound Will Be Disappeared.
---- Please Tell Me What Is Wrong With My Bike With Your Expert Comments.


3)I Am Facing A Major Problem With my bike, that Bike Stops While It Is Running.Asking The Service Center Guy, He Said He Doesnt Know Anything. But He Daubt That It Can Be A Vent Hole Problem Of The Fuel Tank.
-- And He Was Right, When The Bike Stops If One Open The Lid Of The Fuel Tank And Again Close It The Bike Will Run few KMs More
-- I Have Found That If I Allow The Engine To Run Idle For About A Minute After I Fire The Engine On, This Tendency Of Missing (Or Dying Of Engine) Generally Does Not Occur
---- Can anyone please suggest permanent solution for this problem


Thanks in advance

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Had my TB350 delivered last month, and I'm riding it slow and steady. So far its almost time for first service, and bike has run only 200Km. Mostly because of the rain and roads combination in Mumbai.

I have adhered to the run in procedures as closely as I can:
1. keeping speeds in range of 50 - 60 km/h
2. kick start first time every day
3. make it a point to run it at least 3-4 Km every day.
4. keep engine idling at approx 1000 rpm for 2 mins before getting into gear.

The bike has been running smooth and without much problems, but lately it has:
1. started making a very high note screech.(i suspect from the front disc break) while moving the bike around by hand. Sound does not come while running in gear.
2. tik tik noise has started coming from the engine(suspect the tappets)
3. yesterday the engine stalled in 1st gear while trying to park it, and it made a loud sound like *PHAT*, and today the engine would just not start.. was kicking it for atleast 15 mins, but it refused to start(sometimes even with choke applied). Sometimes it would start but would not continue on idle and would die out in a few seconds. Finally (by luck i feel) it started, but soon i could smell something burning. I tried to locate the source, but could not. After a minute or so, the smell vanished, and i took a 5 km ride on it without any problems.

I am worried if i have damaged anything badly.. hope nothing in the engine.. .. Experienced members please put my worries to rest, so that i can take necessary actions and precautions in future.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Cheers!
Akshay.

PS - Bike is due for first service coming saturday. Any advice on what needs to be checked/corrected would be much welcome. thanks again!

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences


1.started making a very high note screech.(i suspect from the front disc break) while moving the bike around by hand. Sound does not come while running in gear.

Don't worry your bird's break pad is still settling-in it may take another 2K KMs to set-in properly.

2. tik tik noise has started coming from the engine(suspect the tappets).

This sound is usually comes from the Auto-DeCompressor when engine starts, this sound should stop after 4-5 seconds from engine starts.

Loosened tappets also make this noise through-out when engine idles.

3. yesterday the engine stalled in 1st gear while trying to park it, and it made a loud sound like *PHAT*, and today the engine would just not start.. was kicking it for atleast 15 mins, but it refused to start(sometimes even with choke applied). Sometimes it would start but would not continue on idle and would die out in a few seconds. Finally (by luck i feel) it started, but soon i could smell something burning. I tried to locate the source, but could not. After a minute or so, the smell vanished, and i took a 5 km ride on it without any problems.

As TranquilRage pointed out this caused because of a blown spark-plug(Mostly the right side one).

All these issues will get fixed after the first service..No need to worry.

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Nothing to worry here friend that kit kit kit sound is from hydraulic tappet. The hydraulic tappet is not adjustable unlike CI bull mechanical tappet but it has its own great advantages, well leave that.

The tappet sound can be controlled to great extent by controlling the idling RPM of your bike, now that can be done by the idling screw in the carburetor. Now if the idling is too low then this tappet noise would keep re-appearing, even you ride some 10-20 kms and then lets say put the bike in idle and the tappet would re-appear. I had the same issue but the mechanic just adjusted the RPM and gone the tappet noise, it would only remain for first 1 or 2 minutes after I start my Bull.

Get the idling RPM done, start the Bull and do not ride immediately (this is more applicable for the start of the Bull in a day or the start after long duration), wait for 1 or 2 minutes, in between give throttle little bit, mostly vary the throttle and there you go ready to go without any tappet noise

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

Hey [MENTION=61439]TranquilRage[/MENTION], [MENTION=63513]gyan_recl350[/MENTION] thank you so much for suggestions and time.


Now I don't observe the first two problems at all.... will observe for few more day and let you know guys.
My only concern is about the bike, stalls all of a sudden In a heavy traffic and afraid of that.
Should I ask the service center guys to replace the fuel tank?

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The Movement Of Valve(Opening And Closing)In A Valve Tray Is Controlled By Rockers And Tappets Old Bulls Tappets Clearance Is Done Manually Chik-Chik Sound Will Come.But Where As In Uce Engine The Tappets Are Automatically Set Clearance By Means Of Hydraulic System(The Malfunction Of The Hydraulic System For Time Being May Cause This Type Of Sound)).While Driving In A Wrong Gear Chik-Chik Sound Will Be Observed Due To Piston Connecting Bearing And Pin Stress And Later Disappears. It Is Common In Bulls,Engaging Proper Gear At Proper Load Eliminates These Problems.

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences

You are welcome friend.. regarding this problem I would say immediately get checked both of the spark plugs, check the carb pipe is properly connected and get the carb tunes by some very good RE mechanic.. I am damn sure this would end your this problem as well.. again nothing serious here.. just get this basic things done immediately

re: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 Owners Experiences


Dude do know any good mechanic near to Banashankari or jayanagar/J.P.Nagar. Where do you stay?