Monsoons is here in Mumbai and Believe me - My Electra starts in one kick and still the most stable and comfortable cruiser even in extremely bad road and weather conditions. The thumping sounds more meatier than ever before.
Now my Electra has done more than 7000 kms. The ’’Noise from the Electric Start Gearbox’’ has reduced considerably as compared to when I had bought it .. Proper handling in the initial stages nurtures the mechanics in the engine and gear box and provides the comfort and efficiency comparable to the standard Bullet.
Now I do feel of having made the right choice in buying the Royal Enfield Bullet Electra.
Electra 2004 with Electric Start and Disc Brakes
Single Cylinder, 4 stroke, air-cooled, 350 cc with a constant mesh 4 speed gear box.
(Factory) Technical Specifications
Engine
Type::4 Stroke, Single Cylinder, Air cooled
Displacement::346cc
Bore X Stroke::70mm x 90mm
Max. Power::18bhp @ 5000rpm
Max. Torque::2.74kgm @ 2875rpm
Transmission::4 speed
Ignition::Transistor Coil Ignition (TCI)
Carburetor::Mikarb VM 24
Dimensions
Length::2120mm
Width::750mm
Wheelbase::1370mm
Saddle height::740 mm
Ground Clearance::140mm
Tyres
Front::3.25’’ X 19’’
Rear::3.25’’ X 19’’
Electricals
Battery::12V - 5 Ah
Alternator::12V - 116 W
Head Lamp::12V - 40/45W
Braking System
Front::Drum 7’’ dia. Twin lead
Optional Disc Brake 280mm
Rear::Drum 6’’ dia. Single lead
Max Speed::100km/hour (mine goes upto 120)
Mileage::Highways-40+, City-35+ (in fuel-efficient driving mode)
Dry Weight::170kgs
Fuel Tank Capacity::14.6litres
Tyres::MRF. Royal Enfield (RE) used to provide Dunlop Tyres before. Good change to MRF Anti Skid Tyres. (Never had a single puncture in 8 months)
Front Mudguard::Chrome plated and Sleek in tandem with the sleek front tyre. Directly attached to the shock absorber brackets. Looks neat.
Rear Mudguard::Chrome plated and wide. Flat and not like the older REs where the rear mudguard was tall. Nice 3 inch gap visible between the tyre and the mudguard which complements with the excellent gas filled shock absorbers.
Rear Tyres::Enough space to fit a fatter 6’’ tyre without stretching the chassis fork.
Rear Shock Absorbers::Really effective (good for your pillion’s back)
Headlamps::Original Ones really bright. For better lighting go for Halonix Xenon 12v/50-60W.
Gold Plated Embossed Logo - Royal Enfiled::Stands out and complements with the Magic Black color of the tank.
Magic Black Color::Dark Green in sunlight and Black at night.
Tank::Bit Flatter than the older REs.holds upto 14.5 litres (almost worth Rs.600).
Horn::Just one horn as compared to 2 in older REs due to the new electric start gearbox no space for the additional horn on the right side. Still good enough.
Tail Light::Same old Enfield style.
Rear Number Plate::Same old Enfield style.
Disc Brake::The most important and the best addition in this model. (came handy for me no. of times). Disc Brakes and the bulky heavy Electra - ensures effective and safe braking.
Seats::(Polyurethane Foam Seats) Really sexy. Low for rider and high for pillion. Seat design blends with the engine and rear mudguard height.
Decompressor::Bit hard(might be the case in mine). could have been better designed. Older REs have simpler decomp knob. Older REs - u had push it. In Electra - u have to pull it.
Handle::Handlebar with weights is bit wider than older REs but really comfortable and macho. Looks great along with the chrome plated rear view mirrors.
Controls::Controls like horn, side indicators, decomp, pass light, upper dipper, pilot lights, self start, Engine Switch looks new and are easily accessible.
Petrol Lock::Not inbuilt. RE could have provided one with the standard equipment, so that u could have had just a single key for all the locks.
Buffing on the engine, clutch box, etc and chrome plating on the tyre rims, brake lever and gear lever, etc not upto expectation.
Ignition::TCI (Transistor Coil Ignition) ensures better battery charging and smoother starts. So good that even in cold starts - max 2 kicks reqd.
Rear Brakes::Effective. but design same like the older REs. RE could have come up with a better design for it.
Air Filter::Better than the older REs.
Self Start::Excellent
Battery::Powerful and bigger.
Muffler::(Glass wool Silencer) Meatier thump .. but not as loud as the point ignition models.
Tips::
A retrofit silencer (short bottle) with a holed flap attached to the number plate so that the end of the silencer can be seen through the aperture in the flap, gives a sexier thumping - almost similar to that of the point ignition ones.
Depressing the clutch and then turning off the Electra helps in minimizing the noise from the Electric Start Gear Box (acc. to my mech.)
Accelerating above the recommended speed in each gear escalates the noise.
- Before parking your Electra for the day, depress the decompressor knob and half kick the kick start to remove to bad carbonated air from the engine. This ensures easy kick starts the other day or after some time.
Also doing the same before kick starting the Electra also ensures easy kick starts.
Modifications on my Electra
Tail Light Set changed to Phantom Tail Lights - Rs.150
Back Number Plate removed - new one on mudguard - Rs.150
Seat Cushion changed to a much softer and thinner one - Rs. 50
Electra Silencer changed to Retrofit one - Rs. 600
Flap below tail light - Rs. 200
Headlight Bulb changed to Halonix Xenon 12v - 60W - Rs. 80
Fiam Pressure Horns - Rs. 400
Seat Height reduced by changing the supports below the seat - Rs. 10
Future Modifications Planned
6’’ X 15’’ tyres (similar to the one on Kawasaki Eliminator) approx Rs. 7000
Leather Saddle Bags - Rs. 4000
Mag Wheels - (can anyone tell me if Mag wheels for 15’’ tyres are available or not)