Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 Review by Rajorshi : BikeAdvice

Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 Review by Rajorshi
Hero Honda Glamour 2011 Launched
Yamaha SZ-R Review by A.Narayanan

Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 Review by Rajorshi

Posted: 17 Jun 2011 07:35 AM PDT

Original Source: Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 Review by Rajorshi from BikeAdvice.in

Hey this is Rajorshi from Kolkata, I am a bike lover just 4 years back I didn't like bikes but now I love em. This love increased even more after I learned to ride em in class 11, I have been introduced to bike riding very recently, what I mean is that am riding bikes regularly since last year only. This is the story of how we (I will tell you a little later who my friend is) became friends.

It's one fine night; I was going to my tuition class with my father. Half way through he suddenly announced that he will buy a new bike. I was shocked to hear such a nice thing. Then father told that actually he was supposed to go book the bike that morning but due to his illness he couldn't go.

I was very curious to know what was the bike of his choice but sadly he did not tell me then, so in tuition class no physics went into my head I was thinking and thinking Karizma, Pulsar 220, ZMR what can it be, then that night I forced my dad to tell what was going on in his mind and after a short pause he said that he will book a bullet!

For a second all my excitement went down, but after a while I remembered my childhood days on my father's old bullet (a red standard model) I use to sit at the front and enjoy the view and the best part was its sound so I got excited again and I said when are you booking it?

I will also come with you & he said Ok which elevated my excitement even more, then I gave him the news of our parent's teacher meeting to be held at school and he told that after the meeting we will book but if my results weren't good then everything will be cancelled.

Then the day arrived and after my father saw I did significantly well in comparison to last time he was happy and then after returning we went to the Royal Enfield showroom. [At the showroom] there were three beast (Classic 500, Thunderbird, Electra) and three minions (salesmen).

My father asked about the price of the Classic 500cc as he was keen on booking it but his enthusiasm was thrashed by the waiting period of 9 long months, then he asked about the Classic350 but that had 6 months waiting period. Lastly we asked about the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 which had 2 months waiting period, so we went for the Electra and then after booking we went back home.

Days passed on and I was growing impatient and to my surprise on fourth week from booking we got a call from the showroom that our bike has arrived and we can come for delivery after one day (they called on Saturday and Sunday was closed) I was overexcited and I could not wait to take the bike. Dad told after I return from school we can go take the bike.

All the while in the school I was impatient. But then the school had to get over and so it did and I rushed to my car and I told my driver to rush to the showroom (my father was supposed to reach there before me and so he did). I reached and saw the red Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350 standing in front of me. It was ready for delivery.

I got it started after a while (I had to wait for a while as it was their lunch time) but I was shocked to hear the sound it was so minimal, so I asked the sales guy why is its sound so minimalistic and different from the Classic350 then he told that classic series use different silencers (optional fitment).

I told I want that fitted into the bike and he asked around and called up someone and gave me a green signal, then the supervisor of the service center (and the owner of the service center) came and took me and the Bullet Electra to the service center. There I got it fitted with a different silencer (as the bent silencer was not available) and a thunderbird style backrest and a leg guard, then we returned home with the bike.

Next day after returning from school I gave my first trial with the bike and boy oh boy it was an awesome feeling, though I couldn't ride it properly, but that evening I tried it once more and voila! I could ride it with ease. There after I started living with this beast of a friend phew, there's my long story but here’s my review of the bike.

Design and Styling

Well what can I say it's all understated retro styling though the classic is a true blue retro but this isn't less either. Not all love it at first sight but surely its design grows on you. Every day you pass with it you appreciate it more and more.

There are oodles of chrome thrown here and there even the engine gets a bit of chrome. The chrome rear suspension looks good to my eyes. The sari guard is blackened. Overall the bike is a decent looking one.

Quality and Fit and Finish

This is a part where Royal Enfield has to improve though it has quite a lot improved but still there's space for improvement. Like the tank cap on mine sometimes does not come out and sometimes does not close. The paint quality is good. The plastic quality is Ok.

The fitting of the parts is not up to the mark. The pedal on the left side was comes out frequently. Recently the silencer covering has loosened very dangerously. There are these niggling issues otherwise there's not much to complain about.

Ride and Handling

The ride is very good. It feels like its sailing over the road. It's a ship on wheels. Sorry for exaggerating too much but yes the ride quality is really good. It would have been better if they had supplied it with an adjustable suspension at least at the rear. Handling is not sharp and agile but good for such a heavy bike.

All weight disappears when on the run and though one cannot cut sharp corners with it but still it delights as a good handler. "Though sometimes it tends to go towards left when braked hard" (am I the only one facing this issue. The workers at the service center told its normal. I seriously doubt that). It's a pain to move about with it in heavy traffic for its heavy weight.

For a cruiser, Bullet Electra got good ride quality if not the best. It's got just enough handling to go about highways or city streets anyways whose going to take it to the track for those Karizma,Pulsur 220 , R15, Ninja, and the CBR250R are there.

Braking

Well it's got disk at front and big drum (153 mm single lead internal expanding) at rear thereby the result is good braking. Contradictory to what many say i felt the rear brakes are good. The disk is very big at 280mm. It has a bit of a stability issue on hard braking i.e. It lacks straight line stability. Overall braking is good.

Engine and Transmission

It's a UCE (Unit Construction Engine) which is much better than the previous generations. Its more reliable now. It also gets twin spark which helps in efficient burning of fuel. But it also has a few shortcomings, its low on torque by as much as 4NM and it has lost that distinct thump though not totally but partially.

But what's good is it has almost 2bhp more than the prev gen. And it's much more agile. It's a long stroke engine so it does not feel out of breath at any rev range. Overtaking is breezes in any gear just Twist The throttle! It has got a 5 speed gearbox with 1 down 4 up pattern which is absolutely notchy.

Sometimes it's very difficult to find neutral and there's lots of false neutral engagement while on the run. The clutch is hard and it can be a pain in heavy traffic. It has got vibrations but very meek ones it does not irritate. Till now I have gone up to 60-70kmph and not more because I have not yet completed 500kms.

In city it tends to overheat a lot I hope Royal Enfield keeps an option for liquid cooling. In winter mornings it does not start very easily though it does the same even in summer but in winter especially in cold night it stops sometimes and then it has to be restarted though this does not happen if its revved for a min or so.

Electrical

It provides two 12v batteries one for electric start and the other for equipments. It's got 35watt headlight which has good throw but a 55watt would have been great. The electric start is a boon for this bike cause sometimes kicking does not help. Though I could never start it at the first press of the button but my father can (I don't have any explanation for it).

Mileage

The biggest deciding factor for an Indian buyer is mileage. Well there's a saying Bullet chalaney waley mileage nehi dekte i.e. Bulleteers don't care about mileage and so do I. No not even for curiosity have I checked the mileage so sorry guys can't give any update on this.

Conclusion

It's a dream bike for many but because of its high ownership cost people don't go by it but with the intro of the new engine there's an increase in demand because this is much more reliable. What it does is. It separates the Men from the Boys! If you want speed, superior handling and show off then go for a sports bike (which even I want) but if you want royalty then go for Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 350. Enfields are a class apart!

Problems

I've had no major problems as such other than loosening of parts and sometimes the engine use to stop on the move but that has been taken care of. It was due to loosening of the spark plug due to vibrations.

Pros

Ride quality
New engine
More reliability
Brakes
Suspension
Increase in power

Cons

Gear box has miss shifts
Fit and finish
Handling
Seat is not as plush as Thunderbird or Classic series
Paint isn't top notch

Regards,
Rajorshi Deria

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Hero Honda Glamour 2011 Launched

Posted: 16 Jun 2011 11:50 PM PDT

Original Source: Hero Honda Glamour 2011 Launched from BikeAdvice.in

We didn’t have anything to hear for about a month or so about any of its other models from Hero Honda getting upgraded, basically facelifted. Now, we have finally got one to quench our thirst. This times it' the Glamour.

The all new Glamour now boasts of a new sexy front visor and headlight. Though this is smaller in size than the old one, this looks very fresh making the front quarter of the bike look totally refreshed. The visor resembles the Splendor NXG.

A new muffler cover is added to the exhaust. This is full black in colour and is catchy as well.

The air scoop shrouds are very fresh and the new design seems to cater the purpose of air intake. The amount of effort that the Hero Honda engineers have put in facelifting this bike is pretty obvious just by seeing this. It resembles the air scoop of the Honda CB Twister to a certain extent, but matches very decently with this bike.

There is also a visible change in the graphic pattern which is spread all across the body. Hero Honda has also added the Analog combo meter console to the all new Glamour. This is pretty similar to the one present in the new Hero Honda Hunk.

The rear half of the bike has undergone no serious changes except the body graphics and the newly added muffler cover. It looks exactly the same from the rear.

The bike is available in 5 hot colour schemes namely Black with Vibrant Orange, Black with Tornado Grey Metallic, Black with Frost Blue Metallic, Black with Sports Red, Candy Blazing Red. Out of these 5 colours, the first one which is Black with Vibrant Orange is really hot. It seems to be a new colour scheme and matches the present trend perfectly. It is really amazing.

The bike is available in two options – One with disc brakes at the front and the other with drum brakes for both front and the rear tyres. The bike also comes with a service breakthrough package of 3 years / 40000 kms warranty period.

So next time you wanna buy a stylish city commuter, I am pretty sure that the all new Hero Honda Glamour will hold a top position in the priority list. This would also give a tough fight to the other models in the 125cc segment, which is one of the fast growing segments in the Indian motorcycle market.

Great going Hero Honda. As the tagline of this bike suggests, it is indeed Simply Magnetic.

Regards,
M.Naren.
Author – BikeAdvice.in

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Yamaha SZ-R Review by A.Narayanan

Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:37 PM PDT

Original Source: Yamaha SZ-R Review by A.Narayanan from BikeAdvice.in

Historia: Hello bikers! And my beloved visitors, I am Aathi Narayanan a B.Tech fresher. I am from an upper middle class family. When my dad started his career, he just had a bicycle. Then in 1987 he bought IND Suzuki 100R, which was the only competitor for the classic Yamaha RX series. In 1994 he gave Suzuki to my uncle and bought TVS Samurai (No problem bike).

When I was in my grade 8, out of my own interest, I started to take the bike from the garage kick start it for my dad to ride. After a few weeks I started to operate the gear leaver with the help of my dad, next day I started to self ride the bike. This is how my first ride started. Then in 2003 dad bought TVS Victor GL.

My teenage passed out with my dad s victor and my bicycle. I joined engineering in 2007; I was the first one in my class to get driving license. I loved to get a bike for my own, but my dad was not interested because I was just 18 by that time and more over my college was 75km away from my home.

Days went by, when I was in my final year my dad once said "if you want to get a bike then get it now with in a period of 6 months". I was happy and then I started dreaming about black Pulsar 150 DTS-i. Pulsar that too especially black is because of the impact of the movie "Pollathavan (2007-Tamil)", the movie is all about a relation between the hero and his bike.

I suggest you to watch it if you get a chance. All my dreams went as a dream itself dad was not interested with Pulsar because of its price (71k), he advised me to get Splendor +. I did lots of research works on various 150cc makes. The friendship between me and bike advice, which is one year old started here.

I was in a dilemma but my heart said "don't get down from 150cc". Once I got a chance of riding my friend's Yamaha RX 135, I was free zed by the mind blowing pickup and light weight. That ride changed my mind form pulsar to RX. My friend bought it of 18k so I planned to get RX but again I was stopped because my dad s condition was to get a brand new model.

Astounding Astir

One fine morning I got up from my bed, walked to sofa, took the newspaper to see the headlines in front page, but I couldn't and my eyes got stricken to the advertisement in bottom right corner. That was the 1st moment I saw Yamaha's SZ, SZ-X model. I was stunned for a moment due to its stylish sporty looks, 153cc and the price (49.5k).

After a week I went to a leading Yamaha dealer near to my home on 2/12/2010. I preferred SZ-X since it was sportier than SZ and SZ missed out the self start mechanism. I took a test drive and I was excited of its smoothness, pickup and handling. I felt it was smoother than Apache 160 RTR and Pulsar.

SZ series didn't have disk brakes, dealer tried to convince me by explaining the drum size is big than a normal drum so there is no need of a front disk. I was convinced but not fully satisfied. The on road price for SZ-X was 60k in my city; me and my dad found it as the cheapest of 150cc range and booked it. The dealer asked a time of 30days because; at that time SZ-X black was in demand.

I was patiently waiting for a month but frequently I used to ring him and get the status of the vehicle. On Jan 1st 2011 he called me and said that a new model in SZ has come with the disk brakes. Immediately I went to the showroom and saw the model of my bike for the 1st time. I was totally satisfied and changed my booking from SZ-X to SZ-R.

Again he asked a time of 30days, I accepted. He didn't keep up the promise he failed to deliver me on Feb 1st and he was not clear when the bike will arrive. I completely lost my patience. I was hurted a lot and got my refund. The next day I approached another leading dealer he promised me to deliver the bike in another 20days.

I kept my fingers crossed and waited patiently. Feb 20th 2011 he called me and said your bike has arrived, tomorrow morning pay the remaining sum and collect your bike. I was happy waiting for the sun to rise up soon. Morning me, my dad and our mechanic went to the showroom and picked out the best among 30. Feb 21st 2011 evening 6:22pm I got my bike ready with the key on my hands. Now let me kick start with my review.

Design & Looks

The stylish sporty design was the main reason for me to choose SZ-R. I can bet that its design can compete with Pulsar and far ahead of Apache.
Sleek aerodynamic graphics is not only made just for design but also they use it 4 the purpose of Air Cooling i.e.: 2 in 1.
The overall volume of the vehicle is slightly more than pulsar. I have a tall physic exceeding 6 feet so Yamaha SZ-R suits me perfectly. According to me SZ series will be a perfect pair for guys ranging from 5.9 to 6.1. When your bike has good looks and which does not suite your physic then it looks awkward. For example apache is designed for short people, it won't suite me. So friends be careful in choosing your darling. It will be happy to hear from others that you both are made for each other.
The cockpit contains an analogue speedometer, fuel indicator, rpm meter. When you turn on the head lamp the meters glow with a mild light which gives a rich look. To be noted that only SZ-R has an rpm meter in SZ series.
SZ-R has a large fuel tank with a capacity of 14 liters in which 1.5 liters for reserve. To be honest the tank is designed such a way that it is steep in front, so thus when you add small amount (1 – 1.5L) of petrol the fuel gauge fails to indicate any stays in empty.
Halogen bulb of 12V is used in head lamp. In normal switching when there are street lights with more brightness the light fails to provide enough vision on road. But it is good during high beam switching.
Rear tail light is unique form Pulsar, Apache and Unicorn. Horizontally designed and gives attractive look.
The battery covers and the front mudguard is made of mixture of weight less polymers, even though it reduces weight front mudguard is very weak, while you clean it you can notice it bends down and touch the tyre. No problem about the battery covers, it is durable.
Over all SZ-R Design = R15 + FZ.

Engine

The engine used in SZ series is the same as the FZ series with 153cc displacement, but in SZ the torque is lowered to 12.8Nm/4500rpm. Even though the torque is lowered there is not much difference felt when compared with FZ and Pulsar. This torque is much helpful in shifting the gear during traffic and provides a smooth ride.
The engine is air cooled, 4stroke, SOHC, 2 valves with a single cylinder. The aerodynamic design helps in cooling the engine. The engines heat is not felt during long journeys it's the major plus point of SZ-R. I had long drive on Pulsar but after a while the engine gets heated soon and starts to drink more fuel. I can assure that Yamaha SZ-R will be more comfortable in exhausting the heat.
Vibrations are not felt after crossing 90km. This is the main factor you must be careful while choosing your bike.
The silencer is big and does a descent job. I really appreciate Yamaha for its design of silencer because it's quite high than normal silencer. Am from Madurai – The temple city of Tamil Nadu, not only in Madurai all over India there are many under bridges and no proper draining system for water during rainy seasons so water gets stagnated and gets in to the silencer.
I have experienced a lot with my dad s bike Samurai and Victor GL; during rainy seasons when I wait for signal water enters the silencer and had troubled me a lot. So am happy about SZ-R's silencer design as it suites rainy season.
The starting method in SZ-R is Electric start; it lags a kicker as its Yamaha's recent trend (FZ, Fazer and R15). Initially I worried a lot since TVS, Bajaj lags in electric start. I asked my friend who owns Fazer; he said not to worry about it as it has not even failed at least once in his 1.5 years of drive.
So I got courage of using the bike without extra fitting a kicker which costs 2500bugs. Battery saves separate power for engine ignition so no problem with the electric start. Even you put your vehicle in garage for more than 20 days it can be started in the first press.

Wheels

SZ-R uses TVS tyres since it economical and has long life. There is no problem about the tyres which Yamaha has provided, I mention it here since Yamaha R15 has problem with its tyres.

The alloy used by Yamaha in SZ series is their own made in Faridabad. To be honest finishing of the alloy is not as good as expected, it gives us a fear when you see the alloy spokes are welded between the rim and brake drum. Recently when I was speaking about it with the mechanic he too felt the same but he also mentioned that they did n't get any complaints about alloy till date.

Brakes

SZ-R has a front disc brake of diameter 245mm and a rear drum. My expectation for a150cc displacement is rear drum than disk because when you are tensed during your ride rear disk can cheat you by skidding. Am happy with the rear drum it does a good job slows down me as I expect and helps me in applying front disk at correct time. Front disk does a great job during traffic and slopes. Overall brakes are apt for the vehicle.

Performance

Here comes the performance which you are eagerly waiting. My bike is 125days old and I am nearing 2000 km, with two long drives. Performance is the area in which I am 100% satisfied. When I sat on the bike for the 1st time during test drive I felt like sitting on a horse. Not only me all my friends who took a ride felt so.

Coming to the performance part the ride on SZ-R is like gliding on butter. It's very smooth so that you are not tensed during traffic. Clutch is wet type with multiple disks it's very soft and doesn't irritate.

Performance inside city is amazing. The gear ratios and torque makes the ride cool. As in my area there is lot of small lanes in which SZ-R performs well. In every bike 1st gear won't be smooth like the top gear, but in SZ-R 1st gear is very much smooth so that the bike doesn't gets off for a beginner and gives a good impact.
The telescopic at front and swing arm at rear performs well in suspension on pits and speed breakers.
Maximum I will try to shift to the top gear and ride in the lowest speed (35-40) (i.e.: torque 3500-4000rpm) inside city this gives me a descent millage of 48kmpl, which is not common with other Yamaha models.
During long drives the comfort is really excellent for the rider. There is no back or neck pain. I have taken long drives twice approximately 150km up and down. I didn't have a pain on my shoulders or on my back bone. Comfort level is very high for long drives. Pillion rider also feels so due to the wider seat unlike FZ.
The air cooling aerodynamic design is also done in a better way than pulsar so that during long drives you won't get the engine heat on to your legs. Am strong in it because monthly once we guys used to take bike to college(65km from my district), I have experienced with all the 150cc buddies and I felt Yamaha is the best in engine cooling.
The top speed is 101 km. And during long drives with an average speed of 80-90km I got a millage of 37kmpl. This is because of my engine didn't get seasoned well during my 1st long drive in my 2nd I got 45kmpl.
Guys don't get feared about your initial millage because when the engine is not set the millage gets fluctuated. Then during the first 2months pls avoid rash driving. Handle your bike with care.

Price factor

Price is the main advantage of Yamaha SZ series. On road price in Tamil Nadu is approximately

SZ is 56,000.
SZ-X is 60,500.
SZ-R is 64,000.

It's the cheapest bike among the 150cc range even though it lags digital display, kicker. Every time the cheaper item does not stand up with quality, But Yamaha SZ-R is really more worth than the money you pay. It's a good commut er. It is a budget bike. If you have Yamaha SZ-R as one of your option then doesn't worry book it today.

Tips

Service your bike at regular intervals, change oil if necessary.
Clean your bike daily and wash it once in a week.
Don't hesitate to use tank pouch as it safe guards from scratches.
Avoid unnecessary stickers, so that your bike is identity is not lost.
Switch of bike during long wait signals and save petrol.
Use chokes every morning during the 1st start.
Wear helmet and ride safely.

I have attached the technical specifications of the bike along with this review.

I thank Mr. Deepak for giving me this golden opportunity to express my views on my buddy and rewind my bike memories. Thanks!

Please leave your comments!

Regards,
Aathi Narayanan

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Friday, June 17, 2011