Please Note:
I had to use this space as I could was not able to update my previous review for my Bullet Electra in the Electra section of mouthshut.com.
Its been quite some time now, an year almost and we ( Don and me) are settling down together in life!!!!
We ve had 5 excursions till date, Bangalore-Rameshwaram, Bangalore-Mumbai, Bangalore- Shirdi, Bangalore-Puttaparthi, Bangalore-Manjeri, Bangalore-Ooty, Nagarhole, Waynad and the longest one was also the most recent.
Bangalore-Allahabad-New Delhi-Bangalore. Almost 6000kms in approximately 85 riding hours....hence I felt that an update on our life would be informative to readers..To begin with, I have stopped visiting the authorised service stations once my "compulsory" services were done and am happy with my traditional Enfield mechanic. Don has been doing well in the city with his usual easy to handle self.
I have followed a service interval of 3000kms and have had absolutely no problems so far apart from a few pilot lamps malfunctioning, the self starter recently going haywire again( my mechanic tells me it is my battery, need to get it checked), and little else...No oil leaks from anywhere, mileage has been a consistent 30kpl ( I dunno if it is good or bad but thats what I ve been getting) and yes all our excursions have been wonderful.
Don is simply marvellous on the highways, stable, smooth and completely unruffled by the road condition beneath. In my recent trip, we travel led through almost 400kms of potholes (Rewa-Singrauli and Jabalpur-Seoni) as deep as my knee but not a whimper from anywhere. Nothing fell off, nothing that was factory fitted broke and nothing was making a racket. I had a service done at Allahabad(not at the RE service station) during which I changed the front shock absorbed oil seals as they had been showing signs of a leak and the chain was cut by a few links.
Apart from this, Don performed very well...He came to life with the very first kick in the morning even in the cold winters of Delhi and U.P, it was breeze to overtake buses and trucks on the highways and night riding too was equally confidence inspiring with a good lighting and braking system to boot. The gearbox has admirably held itself up, the clutch is still trouble free and no cable breakages at all...till date.
Grouses, well a few if you must hear them...here goes....
I do not cross 80 kph generally but our roads are actually worth more than that at a few places ( The GQ and a few NHs), so at times, I do feel the lack of power beyond 100kph...though such stretches are few and far between
My battery conked out ( and I rarely use the starter)within a week of the end of warranty.
I had fitted aftermarket alloys and the rear wheel broke at the collar at a place called Seoni. Since it was an aftermarket fitment I do not hold RE responsible for it in any manner.
Though my headlamp is 90/100W halogen, at times I wish I had more watts or an HID kit.
Apart from this, I feel it is difficult to get such a reliable, comfortable, stable, universally repairable, awesome looking, highway cruiser in India. All ears to suggestions and feedback folks...