More about riding ?

umm.. I don't know which bike you have been riding before ....but..generally speaking -

1. Braking is good. Rear brakes start off very sharp -impressively sharp - but within 10km it feels more normal. And I think you should let it be like that ... some other bikes don't have even 60% of the rear brake effect...

2. Front Brakes are OK. I would like it to be more progressive and definitely would like a bit more bite in case of panic stops ...

3. Front suspension is a bit soft. Some ppl say a bit too soft. Indeed the bike does tend to dive quite a bit but you get used to it. You would be advised to get the number plate removed and get the Regn # pasted on her forehead.

4. For running-in I suggest you use whatever oil HH people give you - just ensure that they fill in the proper 9xx ml of it. Many service stations in b'lore fill only 700ml. Please ck at every service.

5. Post running-in I suggest you to get hold of Castrol Power 1 Racing 4T ASAP. Gear shifts and performance improved greatly . Honestly tell you - for ZMA its the best oil.

6. Lighting - get OSRAM Silverstar or Halonix+60. They are 60/55W bulbs. You could also go for a 100/90 but I think 60/55 is a good tradeoff between the heat and light.

7.Mind those alloys - its VERY expensive

8. Fuel - boosted/regular ... whatever...I think its alright as long as you dont mix the two types.

9.Definitely need to get twin horns - and install a HELLA 4pin relay with it.


About running-in. Bike makes about 1.91KG-m of torque IIRC. Thats around the same as a P200 and a wee bit less than P220. But it definitely feels like its got a lot of torque. From 2K to max 4.5K in any gear you feel there is enough torque for city riding. You dont need to get upto 4.5K...you have to keep her below 60

Personally I follow that rule only 90% of time. I think occasional bursts for short durations are required.Its upto you to decide.

And remember 5K in 5th Gear =80KPH. If your speedo is playing up - use this as a yardstick, Many ppl had speedo problems of late.

So its Sandeep again who provides me with some more 'reading material'
Thanks for posting these pointers Sandeep. I ride a Unicorn right now btw

Ive made a mental note to get the engine oil level checked when i take delivery. Im terribly worried about being swayed by the displacment devata and hence screwing up the running-in.
Hope i can hold back the horses till one grand on the odo...

Hello bikers! I have been a spectator here for a week or so and gained lot of knowledge about the zma. Anyway, I have a few queries now!

1. When I apply the rear brake at the first junction from home every morning, there is a "thak" noise (when the brake lever is compressed). This doesn't happen again until next time!! It generally happens the first time I apply the brake after the bike has been still for 3 hours or so! There is no problem with the bite or sharpness of the brake. Is it a problem with the liner? I don't think it's something to do with the lever coz it doesn't happen when the bike is still and I apply the brake!
3. Whenever I change gears above 6000 rpm, I feel a slight knock. As in, the power delivery is not smooth. The bike seems to hold back for a second before it goes on. This happens only when I shift above 6k and generally when the engine is hot enough. Can it be coz of a clogged up carb? Or lean air/fuel mixture?

4. This one's pretty important. I am the second owner of the bike. I bought it from my friend's brother who left to the UK. FYI the bike had done 2300 kms when I bought it. And here's the surprise package- it's a 2005 model zma.. Ironically he has ridden 2300 kms in 4 years and I have done 2000 kms in a month.. Anyway the problem is, the bike had been still for almost 2 years and I got it serviced at castrol bike zone when I bought it. The previous owner hasn't completed the free services except for the 1st one. And HH ASS were not ready to complete the free services as it's a 4 year old bike. Will this be a problem? I haven't bothered going to HH for free services and i am getting it done in Castrol bike zone. Rational comments awaited. Regards!

^

1. There is some thing called torque or tension rod which is connected from the chassis to the rear wheel hub.. check out if there's any play in it..

2. Even i had the same issue too but i replaced it with ROSHAN bulbs

3. I think the clutch springs are weak check out the entire clutch assembly.

4. Trust me castrol bike zone is better than any hero honda service center.

Hi People..
I brought ZMA last week and it has done 400 KMS. Today while riding to work the bike just stopped in the middle of the express way(my office is in gurgaon) and i had a narrow escape.
When i satrted the bike, it was giving missing, this happened for good 5 minutes, then i just left it. After a minute or so i kick started it and it came alive. No probblems after that. Can anyone throw some light on why this happened? and what's the cure for it? Coz i got this bike after reading about its touring capabilities and if this is the case with it then i doubt about its touring status.

I dont think that was misfire ... mostly it must have been Air lock in the tank .. which means the bike will just about start but when you open the throttle it feels like its going to die and shuts off..

Open the tank lid ...swosh the fuel around a bit ...20 secs later you close the lid and you must be good to go.

Is this something i oughta be worried about..?
Is there any solution to avoid the air-lock created in the tank..?

@ sandeep: It was missing sound, like the one that comes when water gets into the carburettor. But am sure it wasn't because of water. Is it a regular feature of the bike or it happens in periods?
@DeepaKumar: What is this airbubbles in tank? The tank has about 8 litres of petrol still left in it. and this hasn't happen at all with my 2004 P150DTSi till date, which has done 80,000kms on it and regularly used for touring in the hills.

@all: also, I was thinking of fitting pulsar horn on the bike as the stock one sucks big time. Should i go ahead with it?

Anshul, do not worry much about it. The next time it stops, just do what Sandeep said and see if that is the culprit.

You have got the best bike, do not worry. It is a small niggle.

^^ Dont worry mate in a honda everything is solvable

Yes - water in the carb kind of sounds... That is what I was referring to.

I strongly suspect an air lock.

It happens occasionally. Happened only once to me so far.

Thanks for the responses guys. What about the query of the pulsar horn o karizma?

It is easily doable. Of course, you need to use a cut-out/relay for that.

Ravi, did you start digging into why your pilot lamps dim when u brake?

a 7AH battery not supporting just pilot lamps and tail lamp?????

On a stock ZMA - if you pull the brakes - you will notice the lights dimming - even without twin horns etc.

Its a small dip - its almost unnoticeable. And it will be more noticeable if you put twin horns without a relay.

Get a 4pin Hella relay (black colour) and install ROOTS/BOSCH twin horns. Its way better than any Pulsar horn