Yesterday, I shot off an email to the factory asking them whether the new TCI unit has been fitted on the LB500 domestic model as well. In about six hours, I got a call from the factory by one Mr Sudheer Raj who confirmed that all domestic models, 350 and 500 AVLs, are factory fitted with the new TCI unit. Also, he told me about the delay circuit, that was previously an add-on, being integrated into the new TCI. I am extremely pleased at the excellent and personalized customer service rendered by the folks at the RE factory. In this day and age of very business-like emails, a warm voice at the other end felt very good. Way to go RE.

Guys, I Booked a ThunderBird TwinSpark today!!

Would be getting the Bike delivered by this month end..

What all should i check before signing off the papers? Advice please!

P.S: I enquired about the Bullet Classic EFi, It wasn't to be released in India anytime soon, but it may be released next year if the emission norms are cleared!

I do not understand this....what's TCI? is it Transition Coil Ignition?

Congratulations. Have you taken test ride, how is this bull? Earlier I had plan to buy to be launched Ninja 250 but now I am too planning to buy bull.

Yup, TCI stands for transistor coil ignition. The previousTCI unit used to be affected by some kind of electro-magnetic interference which caused electric starter failure. Also, due to backfire the sprag clutch used to fail frequently. Royal Enfield remedied the backfire problem by adding a delay circuit.The new TCI comes with a integrated delay circuit and is also resistant to the EMI, thus making your starter assembly more reliable. The sprag failure also is said to go down with these changes.

Thanks! Yes i did test drive the bird.. It was good.. liked the comfort, riding posture, decent mileage, and its a BULL! What else would i need!

I'm new to the World of Bulls - Help Needed!!!

Hi All,

This is Vijay. I'm based out of Chennai. I've purchased a second hand Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 5S (2007 model).

It's in a very good condition and riding is very good. However, I have a few concerns here:

1. I seriously suspect the mileage it offers. I believe it's giving me 25 kmpl. I'm not able to check this as the speedometer and odometer are not working. But, from the distances i've covered, I was able to come to this conclusion.

I do agree to the fact that, i should not be greedy about my expectations on mileage from a Bullet. But, this kind of mileage is way too low. I've seen threads in the forum where even older bulls fetch max 40 kmpl. Could I get mine close to it???

2. Since, this is the very first time I'm owning a Bullet, I would like to know a very good trustworthy mechanic in Chennai, who could just help me tune this mileage thing alone. People, please help me out with this.

Thanks,

Vijay

LB500 delivered and initial impressions

Hey guys,

Finally, I got my LB500 on Wednesday. First of all, thanks to all the XBhpians and Xbhp for helping and guiding me during the decision making and the purchasing stages. The dealer called me to the dealership at 5pm for delivery. I was there at 430. Finally the delivery happens at 7pm. Phew! In the interim, I got a crash guard fitted, checked the oil level and took the bike for a test ride to check how the bike was. The LB500 rode well but didn't pull as hard as the test bike that I rode a few weeks ago. When I quizzed the showroom guys about this, they said as I was riding with less than one fourth throttle, I wasn't feeling the power and torque. I was satisfied with this reply as I was using just one fourth throttle in all gears and not taking it past 50 in top gear. I filled in nine litres of fuel to supplement the showroom guys' one litre of fuel.
Then, I took delivery with the odo reading 10 and rode down to Gaadi Ganesha temple for Pooja. I was a little tired as the bike was pretty heavy in traffic. My only grouse with the LB500 was the high clatter and vibrations at idle although the engine sounded good and felt smooth once the bike was doing around 40-50. Finally when I got home, the bike had covered 35 on the odo. I'm not commuting yet, to my office in E-city as I don't want the bike subjected to peak hour Hosur road traffic.

Next day, I took the bike out for a spin after work. I covered around 50kms after 7 at night. I took the Outer Ring Road near Hebbal and switched off the bike at the traffic signals. I rode at a speed of 50, never exceeding 55 in top gear and I also slowed down now and then and then accelerated gently to make sure that the engine saw different rpm levels in different gears. Overall I felt happy although I felt that the power and torque was less. Also the engine got heated up pretty fast at idle and I couldn't keep my hand on the timing chest for more than two seconds as it was pretty hot. When I returned home and observed the engine for oil leaks, etc, I found a few drops of oil around the the breather pipe. I checked the oil level and found it to be almost full. So, not too surprising as the bike was depositing the extra oil to the catch can. But, as the breather pipe wasn't fitting snug enough, a few drops oil was being let out. So, I set that right. The odo read 85.

On Friday night, I took off and rode towards the Bangalore International Airport( awesome smooth tarmac) Kept the speeds to less than 55-60 and varied the speeds in all gears with gentle acceleration and deceleration. I also gave breaks every 40-45 minutes and let the bike cool for ten odd minutes before starting off. Finally came back home late. the odo read 163.
I was very happy with the stability and poise. I was unhappy with the somewhat sluggish performance and the diesel auto-like clatter at idle.

Finally Saturday arrived. After a late brunch, I went to JC road and bought two AGV MPA lids(one for my brother) from Megha Enterprises. I took a circuitous route to avoid traffic to keep engine temperature low. Then, i rode down to Cramster for a jacket and gloves. It was closed as the Cramster guys were off to the Rider Mania. Then, I took off to get some mileage in. Back on the new airport road. This time, I pushed it to sixty where I found that the bike loved it. I had found it's sweet spot. Finally, after passing the airport, I turned around and rode home. Was pulled over by cops for overspeeding. When I asked for a print out, the cops sheepishly showed a fifty one. So they couldn't fine me as I was under the 60 K's speed limit. Just before reaching home, I tanked up. 11.12 litres of fuel went in to fill the 14.5 litre tank. The speedo read 260. I was amazed. I had covered 260 clicks in approximately less than 6.5 liters. So that made for a mileage of 40+ on a 500cc. I wasn't happy, not happy at all. Was my baby running to lean? Got home and checked the silencer bend pipe for blueing. No signs of it. Touched the timing chest. Engine was pretty hot.

Now, this is leaving me all worried. Could the lack of pick up and hot engine be due to the lean mixture? That said, cold starting is not too much of a hassle with the bike needing choke to start and some warming up. But, the engine has a minor misfire when I am decelerating using gentle engine braking. This happens, even when the engine is warm. So, is my bike running lean and does that explain the lack of grunt at lower rpms? Or is the high gas mileage due to the fact that I'm riding gently without straining the engine? I personally think the misfiring is due to a lean mixture or the timing may be off as the engine is getting run-in. If it is the latter, that explains the lack of grunt and also the misfire. Or it could also be a combination of both which could explain the factor of high mileage as well. Or is it something else? Bullet gurus, please chip in with your know-how. I'm a little anxious. I just don't want the engine to run lean during the very critical running-in phase. Please HELP!

Also, the bike vibrates quite a bit at idle and the clatter is high/noisy during idle, when the engine is warm. Will that reduce and do bullets, especially AVL500s become smoother after the first service? Please advise as I have no clue about all this and what to expect aftre the first service as I am a newbie bulleteer.

Meanwhile, I will check the spark plug tomorrow morning. Also, I plan to cover another laidback 120 kilometres each day on traffic free/ fast moving city roads tomorrow and on Republic day. So, that means, first service on Tuesday or Wednesday. Till then, I can only hope that my LB500 isn't running lean. Tomorrow, I will ride down to Gurunandan's garage and pick up a Pete Snidal manual. But, Nandan himself advised me against touching the engine as it will void warranty. So, I have to keep off that temptation.

Also, please excuse the lack of pics folks. My digicam is on vacation somewhere in Kasargod with a dear friend of mine. I will post pics after the first service. Will keep you guys updated. Sorry for the long post.

Cheers,

Jay

I rode over to Mr Gurunandan's garage and picked up a Pete Snidal manual, late Sunday afternoon. The Bullet guru took my bike out for a spin and came back telling me that the power and torque is good and the bike feels normal. The valve chatter/clattering, once the AVL bullet is warm is common, according to fellow LB500 owners. Also, the clicking noise is made by the PAV which I think, will be the first part I will remove for good. So, I was happier. Meanwhile, I gave the throttle a twist to expose the bike to higher speeds momentarily. From 50 the bike shot up to 80 in a flash. Now, I know what slingshot torque is all about. Awesome. Please note that this was done as the Pete Snidal manual recommends exposing the bike to short bursts of higher speed for less than 15 seconds occasionally. Also, I've racked up 470 clicks on the odo now. I'l be giving the bike for first service on Wednesday. Also, when I examined the plug, I found it to be a tannish gray rather than white or off white. So, I guess it isn't running too lean. Meanwhile here are a couple of pics from a mobile's camera. Kindly excuse the average quality. These pics were shot somewhere on the new airport road.

Nice Ride there Jay! Was THIS the manual u got through from Nandan's garage?? Good Luck for your new love and wish you many more smiles a head

Ananth,

Yes that is precisely the manual I picked up from Nandan's garage. The manual is worth it man, especially for a bulleteer who wants to understand the bullet than just ride it like any other bike. I paid 899 rupees. Meanwhile, the new UCE engines aren't featured in the manual. Also, I strongly suggest you to buy one before you buy a C.I. or an AVL bullet.

Thanks for the update bro! But i have booked a ThunderBird TwinSpark...

Is the new UCE engine available for purchase? One could just buy an old bullet and replace its engine with the new UCE engine if its available for the public to purchase.

Prajwal

^ are u talking about the Thunderbird 350? I believe the change wont be possible as the new Thunderbird also comes with a different sided chain drive and hence only changing the engine wont be any good

Ah of course! I forgot the chain is on the right side in the new TBTS.

Prajwal