re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53


From my discussions with the dealer here, there is as such no approved exhaust which would not void the warranty or anything.
But he said the recommended one is the Akrapovic. In stock form the CBR650F is also very quite rather it is quieter than the Street Triple.

Somehow as of now I am liking it this way. Hopefully will look for an exhaust upgrade by next year.

Hearty congratulations and Wish you many happy KMs with your ride.


Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Thanks Rachit, my best wishes to you as well...Keep clocking the km asap - I am sure you would also be looking forward to finish initial 800-1000 whatever km at the earliest and then test the real glory of a super bike!
I have completed about 480 km by today...Till now was keeping up to 4000 RPM...now increasing a bit to 5000 RPM from today onwards...That comes to about 90-92 kmph (till now I wasn't exceeding 80 kmph...Want to take it higher a bit by bit and not in a hurry....

Funny thing is - despite being a rather premium product, Street Triple is tuned for using non-premium fuel - so at least there I am saving about Rs 5-6 per litre compared to even my previous bike KTM Duke 200 (Duke was tuned for ordinary petrol but recommended was premium petrol). ST is however recommending to in fact avoid fuels with additives.

Also, instead of chain cleaning/lubrication of every 500 km of Duke 200, ST needs it once in 800-1000 km only.

Engine oil also - KTM duke recommends Motul while Triumph is using Castrol Power 1. Castrol is relatively cheaper than Motul and yet ST is a high performing screamer!
In KTM I had tried DTSi Synthetic Oil and also Motul - but with Motul there was a bit of difference for sure. Motul lasts 10000 km while DTSi lasts 5000 km in Duke.

For Triumph, Power-1 lasts 10000 km...

So all in all, it is expensive to maintain - but not overly so considering the category it belongs to....

I think main expenses will be tyres and Brake pads etc...

I am currently observing mileage in terms of 18-18.5 kmpl. Considering that majority of time is spent in bumper to bumper traffic, this isn't too bad. On highway it should be better though that isn't my real concern - otherwise I should not be buying such bike...

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

I have clocked nearly 2100 Kms by now. I had a couple of discussion with my more experienced friends and read a few things on the internet regarding running in.
Here is what I did. I, in no way am suggesting you to do the same. You should follow whatever you feel comfortable with.

These engine are generally Pre Run In from the factory. I generally don't prefer staying within a particular RPM range even for run in. I believe in riding the bike as I normally would except for the first 500 Kms I will be conservative.
Suprisingly CBR650 manual also said the exact same thing for the first 500 Kms. After the first 500 Kms I was told to start opening each gear up slightly.

The idea is to make each gear see the most of the rev range. I think it is called hard break in. Basically you find an empty stretch of road then from lets say 2-3K RPM take every gear to around 1500-2000 RPM below red line and then coast. This frequent heat and cold cycles help engine bed in better. Atleast that is what I have read.

I took the bike to Taj expressway and followed this for a while. Also from 500 Kms to 1000 Kms I tried to follow these practices too, I mean whatever I could in the safe limits on public roads.

Honestly not sure if it made a difference or not but the bike is running well from what I feel.

From what I have heard and read, I think triumphs are pretty acceptable in the maintenance bit. They are not very expensive as one would think.

I think I have been getting around 21-23 KMPL in the city during the early morning rides mostly.

CHEERS
Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Wow !!!
2100 km's up already.
Bro i remember you getting the bike & now its over 2k.
Clocking miles by the hour

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Yeah, almost 6K already in Petrol. My monthly petrol bill has definitely shot through the roof.

Actually the trip to Chandigarh added nearly 750 Kms out of the 2100.

Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Hey brother,

Here are the pictures you requested. The bike has Manual made specially for India as it has Hindi language options too.
It says every 6K Kms or 6 months.

One good thing that I got to know is that this bike comes with a Viscous Air filter which wouldn't need a change for like 15K kms.
The other thing I got to experience was higher than expected labour charges for a few things at Wings dealership.

I got Tail Tidy kit fitted, Frame slider fitted and the Radiator Guard fitted in addition to getting the chain cleaned and lubed.
The labour I was told for fitting things was around 2700-2800 and Chain cleaning and lubing 300.

Thankfully there is summer camp which is on under which I got 50% discount on labour and free chain clean and lube. So overall damages 1425.
One thing is for sure the service guy (Dilip) does one hell of job while working on the bike. This guy works so patiently and with so much love and care that its a joy to actually see him work on the bike. I mean the effort and attention to detail in chain cleaning and lubing makes those 300 Rs worth it. Extremely satisfied with their quality of work. I have never seen anybody ever working with so much care while servicing a customer's vehicle. He goes out of the way to make sure everything he does is absolutely top quality work.




The rest of the pictures with the accessories are in works.

Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Did they have to strip the bike off to install the parts? If so that's sounds reasonable especially if its the premium bike dealership. It kind of helps if the service manager is a bit close so he might knock some of the bill. So there is no mention of parts replacement interval chart in the manual? Nothing written behind those coupons either?

Either way you shouldn't see major bills for 6k intervals. Maybe oil and oil filter at best and minor chain slack adjustments maybe. Keep the chain well lubed every 500-1000kms depending on the weather and state of the chain. Invest in some chain cleaning solution, a chain cleaning brush and a chain lubing solution and use a paddock stand at home for DIY. Works out much cheaper that way.

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Na, no stripping of part required for the most part except for the Tail Tidy which took a decent amount of time.
I am sorry I didn't check that thing. Will try to check that and get back to you about the parts replacement interval chart.

Yup, I am already looking into the possibilities of these things.
Thanks for the suggestions man!!

Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Well here is what is wriiten as activities to be performed at these services.




Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Now for the updates:
I had planned a few accessories to go on the bike. After some reading and discussions with dealership and friends, I figured Radiator Guard and Frame Sliders are a must. I have always fancied those chopped tails on super bikes that give a complete view of the wide tyres and hence was really keen on getting a Tail Tidy for my bike too.

While researching, one more thing that I learned was motorcycle accessories from good brands are really expensive. I did go through a lot of Thai websites and honestly liked a few of them as well but somehow was not comfortable of ordering and payment methodoligies.

As luck would have it, one of my colleagues was to fly to UK for an office event. I really liked R&G racing stuff but found it to be exepnsive on US websites. R&G is a UK brand and hence was cheaper to order in UK. I ordered Frame Sliders and Radiator Guard and my colleague got it for me. Excellent service by R&G as they literally delivered the items very next day.

Now another of my US trips came up. I am really getting scared of these US trips of mine. Everytime I went this year I put a huge whole in my bank account and this time I was already zero. But then a guy has to do what a guy has to do. Got myself the Yoshimura Tail Tidy kit.

In addition I also got BILT riding jeans, and Alpinestar SMX-1 riding boots. I had Dainese riding pants but they are bulkier and are not that easy to use for everyday street riding. I had Alpinestar SMX-5 boots as well but since they were full length, I wanted to preserve them for future track days if they come. Also full length boots does restrict your foot movement on the pegs and in my opinion are more suitable for track or situations where you dont need to use rear brake. My first ride on the new shorter SMX-1 proved just that. I had much greater movement of feet from brake pedals to pegs. I could quickly switch feet through various positions and had much better feel of the rear brake lever and it just help me feel so much more comfortable and confident with the bike that I just started going crazy with the leans. It was revealation and I did not expect that. The riding jeans are pretty good as well. They are much thicker denims but are quite comfortable and has inbuilt knee protection. Initially I was interested in the one's available on Royal Enfield store as they were a bit cheaper but since I could try these, decided to pay a bit extra.

Overall a huge hole in the bank account again. Rather, wait there was no bank account already so hence a huge hole on the credit cards but absolutely worth it.
I was getting a very good deal on my dream helmet SHOE RF1200 too, but somehow thankfully was able to control otherwise my family would have to beg for food for the next couple of months.

Another excellent dealer experience. I got all 3 stuff fitted on the bike from the Wings Dealer. The Service guy Dilip is a real gem. I mean, if I knew this stuff and had the right tools too, I still would not have been able to do a better job than him. He is that good. Looking at your bike get treated like that just gives you so much pleasure. One huge shocker was the labour charges. The labour charges for fitting these 3 things including taxes was nearly 2800 plus 300 for chain cleaning and lubing. Thankfully for some winter camp by Honda that I got 50% rebate on Labour and free chain clean and lube and paid 1400.

I wouldnt mind paying 300 to Dilip for chain lubing as the attention he shows for this task is simply a pleasure to watch. He generally takes half an hour just to clean and lube the chain.

Damages:
R&G Radiator Guard - Around 6K
R&G Frame Sliders - Around 9K
Yoshi Tail Tidy - Around 9K
Alpinestar SMX-1 - Around 10K
BILT Riding Jeans - Around 5.5K
Fitting - 1400

Now for the pictures:


I dont know why this piece of metal should cost 6K. But this is the aluminium one. There was a stainless steel one as well but was 2K even more expensive.



I somehow feel that they dont stick out as much as they should considering how high they are in the bike. In case of a fall they wouldnt be able to protect the lower part of fairing. In all my research I could only find one Frame slider from thailand which I saw in a youtube video whose position I really liked and was much lower and needed a bracket to fit. But one of the comments on that video said it was local made one and hence I didnt knew how I could have gotten it.







My biggest fear actually came true. The number plate frame is smaller than our regular size number plates. A high security number plate wouldnt fit in the frame. I had to basically get a car number plate cut so that it could fit. Also, this tail tidy has LED lights but shockingly such an expensive kit requires a wire to be cut for those LEDs. R&G one had a socket and didnt require the wire cut but I really liked the look of this. Dilip soldered the connection so should be good.


Looks nice though?



The only thing left is to get rid of the front number plate and get the number written on the windscreen. That will do it for me till the time I can get these credit card companies of my back. One of which happens to be my employer.

Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Nice additions there Rachit. The radiator guard is a major necessary add-on, considering the debris lying on our roads. I'm glad you went with the aluminium one, as Aluminium will not rust or corrode and is lighter. Stainless Steel on the other hand, if is not made of good quality SS, can start to corrode. My understanding for the cost of 6k for such a part is because there's some laser cutting involved to get the best finish, at least that was written on the EvoTech guard I have. Tailtidy, while looks good will play havoc during the rains, your call on how you plan to handle that. I'm totally going green looking at the cheap maintenance costs for a Honda. Good gear additions too, it's almost like building up a lady's wardrobe isn't it? One can never have enough

Happy riding

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

A quick question rachit sir.. have you tried the kawa z800? If so hows your impression of the bike compared to honda?

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Thank you very much brother. Yeah, I also read about the laser cutting piece. Its even done for the Yoshi Tail tidy.

I actually don't intend to ride a lot in rains. Plus in Gurgaon it generally does not rain that much. Although I am aware that if I get caught unplanned I would be in deep mud quite literally.

You are absolutely spot on for the riding gear. Even after spending a fortune according to my affordability I still have so many things to buy. You just cant get enough of it.

Hey brother,

Yup, I did try the Z800. The test ride was not very long but here is what I can think of:
1) Z800 is more powerful and punchier
2) I atleast I didnt feel the extra weight of the Z800 maybe because I rode it in a straight line
3) Z800 engine felt even smoother than the CBR although CBR is getting quite close now
4) Seats on the CBR are more comfortable
5) Pillion would be more comfortable on the CBR
6) Stock engine note I found to be nearly the same on both bikes
7) Z800 would have more wind blast being a naked

These are the only things I could feel in that short ride. But the Z800 feels much wilder and scary in the way it goes through its revs. Pure adrenaline.

Rachit

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Nice additions there !! I feel tail would look better with LED indicators. You can think of it in next set of accessories. [emoji12]

And with tail tidy don't splash slush n dung on people coming behind you and your own back [emoji23]

re: My Honda CBR650F. EDIT: Track Day at BIC on PG-53

Thank you for the reply sir..