I am sorry none of what you say above actually qualifies as maintenance, its just keeping he bike clean. This bike needs maintenance not like you said above but more like going regularly to the mechanic and getting thins checkup and replacing them if they are found faulty/worn etc.

CL500 ownership

i bought my C500 in Oct 2010 after riding the Karizma R for 3 years. I initially bought it just for two reasons
1. if you want to tour long distances in india this is the bike
2. has the highest power/torque specs among indian bikes
it has been quite a good ride from then on and i have started liking this bike more than i thought i would. (though unfortunately i had dropped it within 4 months of initial riding due to gravel while braking ).
the bike is great has much better quality and reliability over what had heard earlier about enfield. its quite easy to touch high speeds and feel stable (atleast i didnt feel that stable on my z'ma at 100). i am listing out my views:
Pros:
1. very good engine and power. The 40 Nm of torque shows when u pull hard.
2. FE is very efficient for cold starts
3. front disk break is capable of stopping this almost 200 kg bike at any speeds
4. actually i havent noticed many maint problems on regular use (i use around 200KM per week within bangalore city)
5. rides very smooth after 60kph
6. quite balanced while hard braking or cornering on tarmac. i dont feel so comfortable on bad patches after the last incident

Cons:
1. does have minor problems like clutch cable, lights assembly, tapet noise when u start in the morning, etc as mentioned by others. But nothing serious at the engine level
2. for me sometimes when i am exiting a tight corner the rear wheel tends to wag around rather than remain in straight line if the speed is slightly fast (could be my technique problem, dunno)
3. i am getting a very bad FE of about 26 KMPL

but i would still say for anyone planning to buy this bike: go ahead and get it because its a good bike not because its some legendary thumper, and cult and its thump and all.
its a good machine which anyone can enjoy!!

I own a Royal Enfield Classic Desert Storm which is only 45 days old.

I've only recently re-registered after a long time on xbhp. (I do not know what happened to my 50 odd posts by the same id. :P)

My bike is facing only one major issue.

After about a week of using the bike, the bike didn't start one morning in that the starter started making the KRRRRRR sound.

The workshop recharged the battery for me. The problem occured again a week after and the they replaced the battery for me.

Now I am abroad and my father starts the bike twice every week and lets it run on idle for 1-2 mins. The bike has not been driven by me since 26th march and yesterday the bike is again making the krrrrr sound.

Does C5 battery really run dry so fast?
Can there be a bigger problem that need my attention?

I've been advised to not only let the bike run on idle but actually drive it around once every week. But the question remains, should the bike battery run dry in 10 days? I have had three bikes and three scooters but none have had their battery running dry in 10 days.

pls advice.

Engine oil for classic 500.

Hi guys,

Ive had my Cl500 for about 7 months now. Ran it in sanely. Opened the throttle completely after about 2000kms. Been running it on Motul 5100 Semi synth since then. At about a 100 kmph the vibes start getting a little more than id like. When i spoke to my local mechanic he suggested switching to a 20w 50 as i live in kerala and the temperature here never goes lower than 27'C . What i want to know is,
1) Will this help with the vibrations.
2) Will it make my engine run cooler.
3) What else can be done to make it smoother.

Thanks in advance,
Al.

Thanks Viper1089... I'll add these things to my To-Do list...


I am exploring Delh <==> Mussorie as a possible option. Should be around 650km in up & down + add another 100kms for smaller places lie Dhaunalti, Jawarna,etc

/Kanwaljit

20/50 is a better option, I use Shell 20/50 on my Lightning 535 (CI Engine) it would make ur bike run smoother, vibrations would not stop just by changing oil...check the gear box / centre stand bolts / wheel bearings, ensure sufficient grease / oil is available in the gearbox, chains properly greased / cleaned

shouldnt have any other problem, it should not vibrate at 100...as far as i know

Ask the service centre guy to check the wiring, somewhere one of the open wire would be touching the body of the bike which is eating off the battery

Thanks ramesh. So ill switch to 20w 50 next time. Ill check out the other things too.

Waiting Period

I booked CL500 Desert Storm on 2nd april, waiting period in gurgaon is 3.5 months and its killing me, i so desperately want to lay my hands on my REDS

I don't think changing oil will solve the vibration problem, the vibrations are caused if the motorcycle as a whole is not in balance at those speeds. Check your tyres and get them balanced/aligned.

The handlebars are my primary concern, the vibrations get higher after 110kmph.

Get you tyres checked for bends..I had the similar problem, bike would vibrate between 40 kmph and 60 kmph and above 100 kmph the vibrations were too much! found out that the culprit was defective front rim...they say it was a whole batch of rims which was defective..service centre guys here in Jaipur have at least changed 50 front rims!

My bike's smooth around 80.. then the vibes get irritating... so changing ur rim cured it completely ?

And how can i check if the problem is with my rim?
Thanks in advance..

I thnk the bike as a whole is not balanced for high speeds and this is not due to something gone out of shape in any part though that could happen, but deffeciency in design of the motorcycle.