Hi mate!

Hey man, as for the Thunderbird, it was never available with a CI (cast-iron) engine, it was always an AVL until recently, when the UCE engine platform was launched. Are you referring to the CityBike500 or some other model?

The mileage of a Thunderbird was anywhere between 35-40, though, I have heard claims of up to 44kmpl. The new UCE Thunderbird should give close to 45kmpl.

Take care.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

thanks again prabhakaran.
and yes ,what a coincidence ! I did that test even without knowing your recommendation(touching clutch case). yes ,it is fine.

and any tips regarding *LESS* use of clutch in worst riding conditions for bulls like city riding? in highways ,it is OK ki we use half clutch for downshift saving the part .but but...in towns ,what we can do?

Thanks for the information Prakhar. My bad, I made a mistake in thinking the Thunderbird to be of CI. Anyways, would the new TBTS be easy to manage than the older one or is it vice versa? Also, the mileage that you quoted, i.e. 44 kmpl, it is under sane riding... right?

Who is Prabhakaran?

And try to check the timming case instead of the clutch case cause the clutch case does not really share that much of engine heat.

Hmm i dont know why exactly would you look for less usage of the clutch

just use it when needed slecting the best possible gear for your bike according to the RPM and the Speed you would be able to manage it fine.
like in my case with my STD350 i can go down to around 20 KMPH and still keep riding without using the clutch and when i have to pull it pulls without any knocking or other things. and this all is in the top gear thats the 4rth.

where as in The Electra 350 thats is a 2002 model it has to be shifted down to 3rd any thing bellow 40KMPH...

but again if we looks at it i would not know whats the character Prakhar will be able to enlighten us with it. in normal riding my STD does not have that much of pickup like the ELECTRA

Hi mate!

Hey bud, you are more than welcome, & this way, not only you, but I also learn things in a lot better way.

And it's not a problem, at times I commit the same mistake but then who doesn't (haha).

Anyways, to your question, I didn't really understand as to what you meant by ease of operation, or ease of handling. As far as the engine is concerned, I personally feel that the parts are going to be very expensive, so handling the maintenance if need arises could be trouble. But please don't get scared. It's just that I am a little unsure about what specifically you are trying to ask, so please mention the context.

Well, yes, under sane, normal riding conditions.

Take care.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

Hi Prakash!

Hey man, as Deep rightly said, it's Prakhar (haha), maybe you got it wrong while typing.

Anyways, yes, as Deep said, it's the timing cover I referred to, not the clutch case. Try checking the heat on your timing cover.

Take care.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

if you had read my earlier posts ,I mentioned that mech "sunny chettan" has changed my electra's valveguide to custom made brass ones.and the mileage was a low 15-20kmpl until the first 500kms.now ,after 500kms ,he serviced it and tightened tappets to some tolerance etc. NOW -
I am getting really very good mileage(approx 45kmpl by R2R!) now with my bull. Sunny chettan has asked me to ride slow(45kmph) for next 1000kms.I dont know what the lafda is!ofcourse no running-in.but he has done something with tappets.now tappet noise is horrible!(tak-tak).he says ,let the tappet be loose for the 1000kms for valve seatings.what is this lafda? Bike is pulling very nice and it is really difficult to keep it stick towards 40-45kmph limit .

also ,I had the cylinder painted black. any guess what the mech guy is doing to my machine?

he is just following the runnin mode. with the lose tappets there would be less pressure n the valves thats all and the engine would run a lil cooler but would not perform the way it should and what else do you expect at the speed of 40-45 thats the millage you should be getting. see what i belelive is any thing less than 20 as a millage is a serious problem(that when you ride at 90-100 all day) any thing more than 35-38 agaiin could be a problem(your engine may be running too lean) so just take care.

well the noise is confirmed to be from cam after the service.mech is saying the increase in sound may be due to better compression.actually setting cam for less noise again needs to have custom made brass/bronze spindle etc etc and again opening engine.but mech is saying let it be so for some time. :S
mileage is now avg 40kmpl{remember - I am now riding at 40-45kmph strictly for the next 2000kms atleast}.and engine is not that much heated.electra needs frequent gear shift compared to earlier.one of my friend suggested to increase crank weight.but I am not going for it.
there are 2 options with bullet acc. to the mech : 1)for less power and a 40-45kmpl mileage OR 2) performance.

infact ,this guy(sunny chettan) is following almost like what B.R Gurunandan has recommended in his bullet series in cybersteering.com !

Adjustable Cam Spindle Kit

Hi @desideep and others:
Is there any one gone for Adjustable Cam Spindle Kit which are custom made by mechanic?How good is it?currently I am experiencing "kada-kada" sound even in low rpm.mech said "hota hai" and its OK.and asked me to finish 3000kms ,then he will change it.
Any Recommendations ?even nandan also recommend this!.
what all should we need for this?should we need to change cam gears?

THis guy is selling it :
eBay India: Genuine Royal Enfield Bullet Adjustable Cam Spindle Kit (item 300202541025 end time 24-Oct-2008 08:59:20 IST)

Hi Prakash!

Sorry for being late in replying earlier, was a little preoccupied with work. Anyways, about the brass valve-guides, it's a performance modification that many people go in for, but along with it there are a lot of other modifications that people go in for. Brass is mostly used for it's better thermal stability, & so if you are tuning your bike to go faster, with free flow exhaust & other stuff, then this would really help. Also these are lighter than the standard ones available.

As for the loose tappets, he may be doing this to make sure that the engine runs cooler. It's just like when you buy a new Bullet, you are supposed to ride it at low speeds & basically run it in. So here the difference is that instead of the whole engine being new, it's just this area that's new. The valve seats also need to be set & ground properly for proper sealing of the valves, otherwise, it will result in compression loss & heating. And maybe that's why there was greater heat in the beginning.

As for the adjustable spindles, they now come in the new models, even the CI models except the Std 350. I got them installed in mine some time back, & you should now purchase them from the genuine Royal Enfield showroom.

Prakash, the sound that you are speaking of can be due to a number of reasons, & one of these reasons is the spindles, another is the timing gears, another is loose tappets ( which is the case in your bike). I suggest, do what your mechanic says, he has taken the right approach, let the valve guides set first, & then decide on further action.

And about the difference in the pickup etc of a Std & Electra, the reason is that the Std 350 has a heavier crank, about 1.75kgs more than that of Electra.

Take care.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

bang on @prakhar. thats what I am waiting for.now I am accustomed with the "tak-tak" sound and it is now not a noise.as per my mechanic's suggestion ,I am continuing the same cam spindle(I dont know whether 2005 electra comes with adjustable spindles) for next 3000kms.will think about changing later.mileage is a confirmed 40kmpl in city(isnt it way tooo much? ) .now ,the bike is accustomed to me and city driving both.

mech suggested he does either of the two : 1) mileage setup(most ppl goes for this) 2) or "Hanuman" setup which is - porting and free flow etc . .so ,first is fine for me.
BTW ,"Hanuman" is locally also used for 4x4 gear for Jeeps

Well mate, this learning process is what attracts me to xBhp Anyways.. I got the answer. I think my friend must expect more than 35 kmpl as a standard. And well, maintenance was always a sore thumb for the Bullets. I just wondered if we have to take as much care of the TBTS or more (considering the Bullets maintenance to be a standard).

Prakahar i am not sure how true is this about all the STD 350 cause the recently the STD again started to come with a heavy crank but in between winde 1973 they all came with a normal crank exactly the same what you have in your electra... i have seen standards with crazy pickup... its just that the ignition kills it.if my bullet runs rite now i am going to switch to the CB points replacement kit.

yesterday went to kochin city and returned back.total of around 85kms.lot of clutch usage in city traffic which is verry high since it is evening .then the engine felt hot obviously.I rode the bike at a constant 40-45kmph with occasional 50kmph in slops and while overtaking slow tipper lorries.

Problem :While I stopped in a roadside "hotel"(dhaba) and kick started it back ,then there is that patakha sound from the silencer for the *first* time.what went wrong?

then ,after reaching my house at around 9PM ,I just researched what is wrong.
1) oil leak from the engine - to be precise between the head and barrel meeting point where we got a gasket which is recently changed .leak is not that bad though.a slight leak - must say.

2) gear box also shit out some grease/oil from the box joints.it was already tightened.
3) carburater - I had to use choke during the day twice for the starting up(not cold start).
4) cam sound is now accustomed with.still ,I doubt whether this oil leak has got something to do with cam?

5) mileage is roughly 32-35kmpl now!

What say guys?engine got hot too soon during traffic.I can touch timing chain box cover for 1-2 sec maximum when was in city.
downshifting gear was very tough as gear became stiff to change.but works for upshift fine.

front drum brake is not effective much.if I press maximum ,then there is some "locking" kind of effect.and then I have to manually push the brake lever up !

waiting for suggestions guys !