Let me start of with a small thought, or rather a thought which became reality.I was always a biker, the Bullet augmented that many times.
A bullet is truly a bikers bike.Its reliable, enjoyable, powerful, good looking, I can go on and on.Well.i have a REM Bullet Electra 2002 on which I have clocked 57000kms over a period of 4.5 years.And I have enjoyed every single km or rather meter on it!!
A bullet is a bike if you’re the outgoing, traveling types, it will fit into your personality to the T.Dont ever think of using it as a commuter bike.There are other REM bikes for that purpose, namely the Thunderbird and Machismo.I say this because they both have the AVL engines which runs lean/higher rpm thereby gives better mileage and not to forget the left side gear shift.Or the best bet will be to go for a Hero Honda and squeeze every litre to the Ml.
Coming back to the Bullet I own..I haven’t had any major problems with it as such.On one trip my head gasket blew, but it wasn’t all that bad I was able to return home safely.Another instance was when my CDI unit failed and I was unable to go above 60kmh unless I switched on the headlamp!Still can’t figure out what the problem was.These problems are quite natural on an electronic ignition bike after a course of time.In fact I realized the power of the bike increased quite a bit after my mech replaced the ignition coil along with the spark plug wire.
As far as reliability goes, nothing to beat a bullet.Am sure it has a life span of a human being!The older it gets , the better it runs.Same funda as wine and related stuff.In fact REM has gone quite a distance in improving the reliability factor of their bikes from a ceratin point of time, circa 2001.A perfect example being my friends limited edition Bullet Campus which is the predecessor to the electra had a lot of reliability issues and so is the same with bikes made before 2002.Certain parts which last much longer comparatively are the cables, horn, chain sprocket , paint quality.Well, my bike’s chain sprocket set has never been reaplaced ever since I bought the bike!and this is to the amusement to many mechanics.Its certainly hard to believe because the usual replacement time is around 25-30000kms.
The new Bullets are of course much better, a lot of R&d has gone into them.The reliability has increased quite a bit, emissions, mileage, comfort.Basically well worth every penny.These new bikes need engine overhaul once in 1 lakh kms, which is quite good.As for the maintenance, a well ridden, well owner maintained bike need to be serviced just once in 4000 or even 5000 kms.For instance, my electra is given for servicing once in 5000kms which translates to bi-annual.Each service averages to Rs 1000.Aftet the math, its well worth the money for a big bike.And as the servicing time gets closer, the better the bike runs because the oil being coated on the cylinder walls and every mechanical part working perfectly well.
Any bike junkie out there looking to go for a bike for the first time, I would strongly recommend this bike.You will enjoy every minute staring at it or riding it.cheers!