Topic Approved.

Hi Abru,

Congrats on your decision, & I hope you will create some fond memories with the bike.

Getting to the query, Electra or Machismo, although the engine design is different in both, the reliability factor is almost the same in both of them. I myself own an Electra & have never faced anything major until recently when I gave my bike for service to a bad mechanic. All I have always done is to get it regularly serviced & kept a watch on noises & leaks.

About the Machismo, a friend of mine at the workplace has it, & he has also not faced any issues with it, except some minor adjustments here & there, but nothing that can be considered scary.

The basic difference between the two models is the engine type apart from the cosmetic differences. Electra has a cast iron engine whereas the Machismo has an AVL engine. The cast iron engines are a little relaxed compared to their AVL cousins, in the sense that they are low revving. You can rev the AVL higher than a similar capacity cast iron engine & that equates to a better & comfortable top end. Also due to the material used for construction, & the better oil pump design compared to the cast iron engine, these engines can run hotter enabling leaner mixtures (relative to the cast iron barrels) & better compression ratios & hence the slightly better mileage & power figures.
Another aspect of the AVLs is the inherent rattle, which has reduced over the years but is still persistent.

Coming over to financial aspect, talking of spares, the spares of the Machismo are costlier than that of the Electra, both the cosmetics & the engine parts. Also, this is my personal observation, the spares of the cast iron engines are easily available compared to their AVL cousins, both at authorized service stations & the local market.

And finally coming over to the future, from what holds true today, the cast irons will be shelved in some time next year. This was supposed to happen this year but the license (something related to pollution norms) got extended for one year. Also the company has plans of shelving the AVL engine in some time after that & this comes from the mouth of one of the company's senior engineers whom I met at Manmohan motors at Chandigarh. Also this was heard from a company spokesperson at one of RoadSurvivor (Chandigarh Bullet group) meets courtesy one of their senior members.

So, even though the company is bound by law to produce parts for such vehicles whose production has stopped but then the cast irons have been around for a very long time now & there are parts available in plenty. This is not the case with AVLs even when they are in production. To quote an example, it took a known who owns a Thunderird almost a month to procure a new cylinder kit from the company after his bike faced a seizure. For another guy, it took the company over 2 weeks just to get hold of new valves.

I might be wrong but then I have listed my personal experience & observation.

Take care & hope this helped. Keep this thread updated with your final decision & also with the pictures of your steed once you get hold of it. Cheers.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

Thanks for the reply.

Hi Prakhar.
Thanks for the reply.
It was really helpful and detailed.
I expected a reply from you as I have seen that you are one of the active members, specially in the Bullet related threads.

I was slightly biased towards the machismo for its looks and AVL engine.
However, after your comments about the parts, little confused now.

Any comments on the price range? Will I get a good 2000+ model in the specified price range?

Regarding the update and pictures, it'll be done on the first day itself.

Hey Abru, you got a very nice answer from prakhar donnot expect any better ones.. hehehe

any ways yes for your budget you can certainly get a very or say extreamly nice example of a bullet.

to be true with you the bullets dont sell by the year. Some sell by AGE and all of them sell by condition. for example i gave away (i am not using the word sold or sell) for 30000 though i was being offered more(35K but thats a different story) and mine is a 1977.

Thanks Desideep. One more question.

You are true Desideep.
That was a real good answer.
Thanks for you for answering the question regarding the price.

Now one more doubt regarding these models.
Sorry if its a stupid question: I have heard that Electra is depended on the battery and Machismo is not?? I mean Electra will not start if the battery is down or there is a problem with the circuit but the machismo doesn't have such problem. Is that right?

The 1977 Bullet might have been a real classic... Sad to know that u gave it away.
Maybe after some years down the lane, I'll buy one such old classic and keep it only for a pleasure ride once in a while...

Hey Deep,

Thanks a lot for appreciating my inputs in such a nice way brother. I take this opportunity to say that you have been an inspiration for me & you have always supported me in my quest for knowledge & helped me out with everything. Thanks brother. And hey, lets not forget to tell Abru that you also got a 2004 Electra 4s (silver)

Hi Abru,

I am glad that you found my advice helpful & buddy, it was a pleasure. Looking forward to having more of such conversations with you.

As for the price range query, Deep has already told you very rightly about it & in a very appropriate way.

As for the battery question, it was sort of true earlier when the Machismo used to have CDI ignition. As of today both these bikes have TCI ignition. In fact the Electra also had CDI ignition initially. Although these bikes can fair good even with a weak battery, I doubt if they can start without any battery power. But I would request others to shed some more light on this.

Take care.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

Hi Abru,

Machismo & Electra are totally different. Some of my views:

Machismo

Machismo - AVL Engine. Has a good pick-up & mileage but because it's an AVL, it makes a lot of noise which you won't enjoy in a Bull.

Electra

Electra has a Cast Iron engine. It's silent but has lesser pick-up & mileage just as a Standard.

If you want a good feel of a Bull, I would suggest forget the new generation and get a Bull between 1970s - 1990s. They are Standard models with great thump and looks. The best thing about these older models I like is I can ride them @ the speed of 10kms on the top gear and its way silent!!

I own a Machismo and I am quite happy with it, but I am still looking for an old standard in which I can enjoy a true Bull

Hey pushkar,

Man, 10kmph on top gear. You sure you are talking about a Bullet here & not something else like a tractor.

I would love to see a Bullet which can pull in the top gear at such a low speed. I have definitely ridden a 77, & 10kmph is a little too less for the top cog. And by any chance even if it is this way, with a lower size front sprocket then you would kill the top end.

Take care.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

Thanks to all and one more question.

Thank you all for the responses. It helped me in understanding what all needs to be compared.
Still finding it hard to finalize. I think i will keep my options open and will do test rides of both and I believe that the rides will help me in finding the correct one...

To be frank, I am more inclined to Machismo (The looks).

Anyway, I will keep searching till I find the right one.

Further advices are always welcomed. So please keep me updated if u remember or come across anything which could be helpful for me.


One more question:

I know one machismo (might be 2005) which is not being used for a long time (Around 2yrs). It was used very rarely and then the owner went abroad.
After that, the bike is parked in the same place for two years exposed to sun and rain .
It is in a parking lot but kept towards the edge so it is partially exposed to the attack of sun and rain...

The tyre is cracked and crumbled now.
The seat is also gone.
But not much rust visible on the body.

I know I can get a nice bike with my budget but it is sad to see such a nice bike getting ruined like that...

My question is whether to restore it or not?

Is it feasible and worth the effort??

What all damage can be expected and will it be good after a complete rebuild???

Hi Abru,

I hope you must have taken a ride of both the bikes, if not yet please take one. It will help you a lot in making your mind. For a while I had a Electra then a Machismo and now I own a Thunderbird. Personaly I feel its a different charm to ride a Cast Iron engine. It has a different thump.
As far as pricing is concerned here the used ones Electra's are expensive then the Machismo.

Prakhar, find any Bull make between 60s - 80s, you will know what I am talking about!

Thank you all

Thanks to all the replies.
I have used both the bikes but that was long back and not with a plan to buy. so the only thing I remember is that I liked the bikes..
will do test drive for both of them before finalizing.
Will keep you guys updated when I finalize one.
maybe one or two months later.
Once again thanks for the replies.

Hey pushkar,

I think I mentioned 77.

And no offence, but just wanted to highlight a point that 10kmph on top cog on a Bullet looks very unlikely on stock setting.

Take care & ride safe.

Happy thumping,
Prakhar

Electra is the perfect first Bull. Low maintenance. Peaceful riding. Sufficient power and torque.

Machismo has super amount of power and even more torque. Perfect for highway cruising.

If I remember correctly, you are going to be on out of town rides only once in a while. I suggest go for Electra.

Price-wise, for 45-50k, look for a '75-'80 ka Electra. Test ride it thoroughly.

Restoring the old Mach, it really depends. The info you provided is very superficial. Hows the engine? If the engine and the frame are fine, then it might work. But get the engine and more so, the frame, checked in and out. You can change or overhaul an engine but the frame is the skeleton. Can't be changed. So be absolutely sure of these two.

If these are fine and you get a nice price, go for it. Please note you will end up spending about 10 - 15 grand depending on what all is broken IF the engine and frame are fine. So for a 50k end product, you need the bike for less than 35k.