Category Archives: Motorcycle

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day trip to River Khwae Bridge, Kanchanaburi

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Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to River Khwae Bridge, in Kanchanaburi province.

The Bridge Over the River Kwai

The Bridge over the River Kwai is part of the infamous Death Railway that was constructed during World War II.

The bridge was built by the Japanese to support their military campaigns. Over 60,000 Allied prisoners of war and 200,000 Asian laborers were forced into backbreaking labor under brutal conditions to build this railway. The construction resulted in an enormous loss of life, earning the railway its grim nickname.

The bridge itself became an iconic part of this story, tragically immortalized in the 1957 film “The Bridge on the River Kwai” which brought international attention to the horrifying conditions endured by the workers.

Bangkok to River Khwae Bridge and Back
Bangkok to River Khwae Bridge and Back

Total Distance: Approx 340 km

The Trip

This trp was not planned in advance. However, I couldn’t sleep well the night before and after wasting many hours doing nothing, I decided to make a day trip out of it.

I left at 7 in the morning and didn’t encounter much traffic leaving Bangkok. The highway 338 to Kanchanaburi wasn’t as intimidating as Pattaya or Ayuthaya. In fact, it felt like most Indian highways.

Meteor 350 on Highway 338 from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
Meteor 350 on Highway 338 from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

Things got better through the trip, the roads within Kanchanaburi criss-crossing small villages with ponds around them.

Meteor 350 near a village pond
Meteor 350 near a village pond

I stopped only once on my way there and it took me 2.5 hours to cover the 170km distance.

At the bridge itself, there were not too many tourists, just one Japanese group.

River Khwae Bridge, Kanchanaburi
River Khwae Bridge, Kanchanaburi
River Khwae from the bridge, Kanchanaburi
River Khwae from the bridge, Kanchanaburi

After pending some time at the bridge, I went to the Starbucks at TMK Park, Kanchanaburi for a snack and a coffee.

A funny train at Kanchanaburi
A funny train at Kanchanaburi
Espresso Frappuccino & Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Espresso Frappuccino & Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Meteor 350 at TMK Park, Kanchanaburi
Meteor 350 at TMK Park, Kanchanaburi

Fun Return Trip

The return trip was much more adventurous. First I did what I always do and accidentally entered a motorway; requiring me to back-track for many kilometres. When I did get on the right route, it started raining heavily, and I had to stop. I started again when the rain stopped, but it started raining again and I had to stop for the second time.

First Rain Stop at Kanchanaburi
First Rain Stop at Kanchanaburi
Second Rain Stop at Kanchanaburi
Second Rain Stop at Kanchanaburi

After waiting for a while, I realised that if I keep stopping like this, I won’t get home, so I powered through the rain. It was exhilarating riding at 80 kmph on a 2 lane road during heavy rain.

Soon, the rain stopped and the sun came out in full force, burning my skin because the rain had washed away the sun block. I went through 2 such cycles of wet-dry, but my shoes and socks remained wet throughout.

Eventually, I reached Bangkok via Chinatown, completely filthy and was glad to take a shower.

This was one of the best road trip I ever had and I look forward to doing it again in the future.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Half-Day trip to Ayuthaya

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Continuing my series, this is a recent road trip, to Ayuthaya. I did this trip because Wanderlust suddenly struck me, but it was too late in the day to go any further.

Ayuthaya: A Glimpse into History

Founded in 1350, it served as the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. The city flourished as a major trading post and diplomatic hub, connecting the East and West through maritime routes. Its strategic location along the Chao Phraya River made it an essential nexus for international commerce. By the end of the 17th century, Ayuthaya had become one of the world’s largest urban areas and cosmopolitan centers.

Ayuthaya is famous for its impressive ruins of temples, monasteries, and statues of immense historical and cultural value. The cityscape is dotted with towering prangs (reliquary towers) and stupas that are quintessential to Thai architecture.

I had been here before, but I wanted to make the short trip on motorcycle.

Bangkok to Ayuthaya & back
Bangkok to Ayuthaya & back

Total Distance: Approx 170km

The Trip

I left after a heavy lunch, around noon. The initial route within the city was same as Nakhon Nayok, once out of the city, it was similar to the highway to Pattaya. I was always a bit stressed that I would unknowingly stray on to the motorway where motorcycles are not allowed.

Meteor 350 on the highway from Bangkok to Ayuthaya
Meteor 350 on the highway from Bangkok to Ayuthaya

The highway was dotted with big factories each giving off a different smell, some really pungent. All concrete, no greenery to speak of.

One thing I noticed during this trip that the Sump Guard which I had installed recently is reflecting more engine noise towards me. I am not exactly sure whether I would keep it or get rid of it.

Sump Guard on Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Sump Guard on Royal Enfield Meteor 350

I did the entire trip in one go. At Ayuthaya, I just drove around the city aimlessly without stopping.

Meteor 350 near a Stupa at Ayuthaya
Meteor 350 near a Stupa at Ayuthaya

On the way back, I ran into some drizzle, so stopped at a Gas station for a few minutes. Luckily it was over soon and I returned home on time.

Meteor 350 at a Bang Chak gas station
Meteor 350 at a Bang Chak gas station

Overall, not a very pleasant motorcycling trip.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Bangkok Motorcycle Rides Part 1

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Continuing my series, below are some motorcycle rides I generally do within Bangkok. These are when I only have a few hours, but still need to fulfil my wanderlust. What better way than to explore the city I have been living in for more than 3 years, but have hardly explored?

Chao Phraya River Ride

Bangkok Motorcycle Rides : Chao Phraya River ride
Bangkok Motorcycle Rides : Chao Phraya River ride

Approx 30 kms

Krungthep Bridge, PC Preecha.MJ 

This is probably my favourite ride (Till now). I cross the Asok intersection to Ratchadaphisek Road and take the flyovers to Rama 3 road. I take the scenic section next to the river past Terminal 21. Past it, I cross the river on the Krungthep bridge, parallel to Rama III bridge, turn north and then back east crossing the river for the second time over the much bigger King Taksin the great bridge. Then cross Sathorn, Lumpini Park and back home.

King Taksin the great bridge, PC: Anil Kaushik

The entire ride is less than 1 hour and provides a good boost of feel-good.

Suvarnahbhumi Loop

Sukhumvit to Suvarnabhumi Loop
Sukhumvit to Suvarnabhumi Loop

Approx 65 kms

This is a slightly longer ride I do when I want to grab a coffee and also do a ride. I take new Phetchaburi Road, then turn on to Srinagarindra Road where I follow the Yellow Line Monorail, till I reach Bang na-Trat road and turn left.

Meteor 350 on Srinagarindra Road
Meteor 350 on Srinagarindra Road

I generally go to this Starbucks on the highway, have a coffee and make a loop around the airport and come back via a different route.

Starbucks ATT U Park
Starbucks ATT U Park
Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day trip to Nakhon Nayok Province

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Continuing my series, this is my latest road trip, to some scenic places in Nakhon Nayok province. The province of Nakhon Nayok is dotted with beautiful places, with more than 10 waterfalls. Covering all of them will take multiple trips, so I decided to do 2 places in this first trip:

Bangkok to Nakhon Nayok
Bangkok to Nakhon Nayok

Total Distance: Approx 280km

This time, I used the lessons learnt from my previous road trip and did not have to stop many times.

It had rained the entire day and night before my trip, so I was a bit apprehensive about getting stuck in rain. Once again, I stated my journey on rain-soaked streets with BBC World Service in my ears.

Unlike Pattaya, heading out of Bangkok was a breeze. There was hardly any traffic and within 30 minutes, I was on the 6-lane highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok.

Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok
Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok

Unlike the motorway to Pattaya, highway 305 is much more biker friendly and much less scary. In fact, after 50kms or so, it turns into a 4-line winding road running parallel to a Khlong. The entire route smelled of rain-soaked vegetation which I loved. Reminded me of early morning bicycle rides in Durgapur.

Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok Adjacent to a Khlong
Highway 305 to Nakhon Nayok Adjacent to a Khlong

There are quaint little bridges all over the Khlong for people to cross.

On a bridge over Baan Khlong Malong
On a bridge over Baan Khlong Malong

My motorcycle is on its second phase of running in, so I rode at a base speed of 70kmph with bursts up to 80kmph.

Wang Ta Krai National Park

First stop was Wang Ta Krai National park with a waterfall of the same name. You can ride your motorcycle a bit into the park.

Premises of Wang Ta Krai national park
Premises of Wang Ta Krai national park

I was surprised to see that cars, on the other hand, could go all the way in. Perhaps it is because of the horrible noise that Thai scooters make.

The waterfall is not very impressive; is a series of small falls over a long distance. Next to the gentle stream, you can see people picnicking.

Stream in Wang Ta Krai national Park
Stream in Wang Ta Krai national Park
Wang Ta Krai national park
Wang Ta Krai national park
Stream in Wang Ta Krai national Park
Stream in Wang Ta Krai national Park
People wading in the waters of Wang Ta Krai waterfall
People wading in the waters of Wang Ta Krai waterfall
Wang Ta Krai national Park
Wang Ta Krai national Park

I spent an hour there and then moved on to my next stop.

Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam

The dam is only a short distance away and the last few kms are winding hilly roads which I loved to navigate. The dam itself is quite imposing.

Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam

I was happy to see some fauna there.

A pet dog at Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam
A pet dog at Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam
Soi dogs at Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam
Soi dogs at Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam

After the dam, I went for a coffee to Nong Coffee, a modern cafe nearby.

Iced Espresso at Nong Cafe
Iced Espresso at Nong Cafe
Nong Cafe
Nong Cafe

The trip back was as fun; I stopped only once for a bio-break. Also, unlike the last trip (where I couldn’t wait to get back, this time I was a bit sad as the distance to home wound down to zero.

Looking forward to many such trips in the future.

Motorcycle

Wanderlust: Day Trip to Pattaya Beach

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Phrom Phong Bangkok to Pattaya Beach
Phrom Phong to Pattaya Beach

Total Distance: Approx 300km

As you can see from my last post, I bought a new motorcycle. Since then, I had been bitten by the wanderlust bug. My hands had been continuously itching to take the motorcycle on the highway. So, the soonest I could, I decided to drive from Bangkok to Pattaya Beach.

I have done this trip before, but that motorcycle was not suitable for highway riding and I wanted to do it again, the right way.

Bangkok to Pattaya

On the morning of the ride, I woke up to find the city soaked in rain overnight, so I left with caution. The way out of the city was painful with morning traffic, but outside, I opened up the throttle a bit.

Since the motorcycle is new, I had to follow running-in restrictions. I drove at a steady 60kmph with occasional 10-20 second bursts up to 70kmph. At this speed, I could not keep up with traffic on the motorway, so had to drive on the frontage road.

Frontage road at Bang Phli
Frontage road at Bang Phli

The motorway from Bangkok to Pattaya is highly developed, with 22 lanes (8 lanes on the upper level, 8 lanes in the lower level and 6 lanes frontage) in most places. There are restrictions on where motorcycles can be driven, so need to pay close attention to Google Maps, which is mostly correct as long as you select the motorcycle option.

The route is mostly scenic, passing near some lakes and khlongs and over the Bang Pakong river.

On a bridge over Khlong near Bang Pakong
On a bridge over Khlong near Bang Pakong
Near a lake at Bang Pakong
Near a lake at Bang Pakong
At a PTT station
At a PTT station

Stopped to take breaks many times to give the engine a break (and also sneak in some photos). Was quite impressed with the low-end performance of the engine. Gear shifts were mostly not required, as the bike can thump its way up in 5th gear from as low as 35kmph.

In Si Racha district, the view is quite nice as the road passes in between various hills.

Near a hill at Si Racha
Near a hill at Si Racha

Pattaya Beach

Because I stopped so many times, it almost took me 3 hours to get there. Once there, I spent some time chilling at Pattaya beach.

At Pattaya beach
At Pattaya beach
At Pattaya Beach
In front of Pattaya Beach
At Pattaya Beach
At Pattaya Beach

After getting my feet wet, I went to a cafe to drink some coffee and have a snack. It was typical below-average tourist fare.

Coffee at a cafe at Pattaya beach
Coffee at a cafe at Pattaya beach
Bruschetta at a cafe at Pattaya beach
Bruschetta at a cafe at Pattaya beach
View of Pattaya beach from a cafe
View of Pattaya beach from a cafe

Pattaya to Bangkok

On the way back, I focused on making good time and only stopped at one place to take the below photo of the Bang Pakong river.

At a bridge over Bang Pakong river
At a bridge over Bang Pakong river

On the way back, it only took me 2 hours to get back home.

Tripper

The Tripper proved its worth, as it provided very clear directions and I didn’t have to stop and look at my phone (which was nested safely away in my saddle bag) even once. On the 3 hour ride to Pattaya, my phone lost 23% charge, with tripper navigation as well as audio streaming (And the occasional photo).

Also, found a weird bug in that the tripper’s display and my polarised sunglasses seem to have the same polarisation plane when I am seated normally, which completely blanks out the tripper. If I move my head 10 degrees to the left or right or rotate my head 10 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise, the display comes back.

This happens only with polarised glasses, regular sunglasses work fine.

Lessons Learnt

Learnt the below lessons which I plan to apply to my next trip(s).

  1. Need to buy thick handlebar grips, as the factory default is too thin and cramps up my hands.
  2. Always wear AirPods even if I don’t want to listen to anything. Active (and worst case Passive) Noise Cancellation is worth it to protect ears from traffic and wind noise.
  3. Always wear sunglasses during the day time, even if it is not too bright, to protect eyes from the wind (I cannot, for the life of me, see through any helmet visor And keep it lifted up).
  4. The USB charger is quite slow. So rather than wait for battery to drain and then charge the phone (Phone gained only 11% on the 3 hour trip back on charge, with navigation and audio), it is better to keep it connected from the beginning.

This trip also pushed my motorcycle over the first stage of running in, next trip should be faster.

Motorcycle

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 First Impressions

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You all know I have a long history with motorcycles, of which I have owned quite a few over the years. This post is about my latest one, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. I didn’t really like the last motorcycle I had or the one before it so I was hesitant to buy another one. But I hated waiting for Grab Bikes and ashamed of riding bitch. So I decided to buy one.

I did have my eyes set on this one, but after a test ride, I didn’t find its riding stance suitable for long highway rides. Coming from a long history with the RE Thunderbird, the natural progression would have been to buy an RE Meteor 350, but at first, I didn’t like the Meteor 350 I saw on Royal Enfield’s website (I found it too modern, especially the allow wheels and the powered coated engine) and I found the Super Meteor 650 too busy, so initially decided to buy the Classic 350.

2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350
2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350
2022 Royal Enfield Super Meter 650
2022 Royal Enfield Super Meter 650
Royal Enfield Classic 350
Royal Enfield Classic 350

However, when I went to the showroom, I saw the new Aurora Blue variant of the Meteor 350 and fell in love immediately and decided to buy that one.

Royal Enfield Meteor 350 in Aurora Blue
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 in Aurora Blue

Anyways, these are my views after 10 days/200km, specifically, comparing it to my previous motorcycles.

The Good

  1. The engine is so refined, I can hardly believe it is a Royal Enfield engine. There’re hardly any vibrations and absolutely no clanking. I am so glad they removed the pushrods and replaced them with a chain and overhead cam system. Even with a reduced stroke, the bike pulls quite well at low RPMs.
  2. There’s still the trademark thumping. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the exhaust actually sounds good/better than the completely muted Thunderbird Twinspark. The exhaust-to-engine noise ratio is vastly improved. When cruising at constant speed, you can hardly hear the engine, only the soft, bass-rich exhaust.
  3. I really like the dual-tone design, the chrome parts and the overall retro look compared to the regular Meteor 350. I love the spoke wheels, although that does mean giving up on having tubeless tyres.
  4. The new rider seat is quite comfortable with a subtle but useful back-rest.
  5. The LED headlamp is quite nice and illuminating at night.
  6. The Tripper is useful, but a bit limited. I will dedicate a separate section for the Tripper.
  7. Overall switchgear feels refined and comfortable to use.
  8. The USB port for charging is very useful.
  9. I didn’t like how the windshield looks, but I found it immensely helpful at moderate-high speeds. Allows me to keep my helmet visor open.

The Neutral

  1. I am not entirely sure I prefer the new digital cluster as compared to analog dials. I don’t really like or hate it.
  2. I don’t care for the ECO indicator or the gear indicator.
  3. Because of the refinement, the engine feels the same every time I ride, which is different from the carburettor Thunderbirds I was used to, which felt different based on temperature, humidity etc.
  4. This is my first motorcycle with a rear disc brake. The Dual-channel ABS is nice to have. The brakes do feel a bit mushy compared to what I am used to, though.

The Bad

  1. I really-really miss the tachometer. I won’t forgive Royal Enfield for removing it.
  2. They removed the kick starter to simplify the engine design. This means if the battery dies, you are screwed.
  3. The engine does get hot during start-stop traffic in the city and could have benefitted from liquid cooling. However, unlike the carburettor motorcycles, it does not cause the Idle RPM to runaway or cause knocking during acceleration, thanks to the ECU.
  4. The fuel level indication is wonky.
Meteor 350 at Bangchak Bang Na
Meteor 350 at Bangchak Bang Na

The Tripper

Tripper on the Royal Enfield Meteor 350

The Tripper is a pseudo-navigation system developed by Royal Enfield. Here are my thoughts on it:

  1. The tripper connects to the Royal Enfield app on your phone and receives instructions from your phone, hence is dependant on it. However, unlike doing navigation directly on the phone, using the tripper uses much less battery on the phone itself (I measured 6-7% drain per hour on my phone, all inclusive).
  2. It uses Google maps data, so navigation is quite accurate. Supports live re-routing and previewing multiple routes before starting the trip. Has the regular Google Maps options to exclude things like tolls, ferries, highways etc.
  3. At first, I struggled to understand tripper’s instructions and found myself stopping and reaching for my phone. However, once you make an effort to understand the symbols, it feels quite useful. I am now forcing myself not to look at my phone.
  4. This has also increased my directional awareness of and I find myself paying more attention to the road and signs instead of my phone.
Meteor 350 at a pit-stop at Nonthaburi
Meteor 350 at a pit-stop at Nonthaburi

Technical comparison with Previous Motorcycles

Here’s a comparison of specifications of different motorcycles I have had over the years (All single cylinder):

SpecificationRE ThunderbirdRE Thunderbird TSStallions CT400RE Meteor 350
Displacement346cc346cc397cc349cc
BorexStroke70x90mm70x90mm85x70mm75×85.8mm
Max Power18bhp
5500rpm		19.8bhp
5250rpm		29bhp
7000rpm		20.2bhp
6100rpm
Max Torque26.97Nm
3500rpm		28Nm
4000rpm		30Nm
5500rpm		27Nm
4000rpm
Compression Ratio8.5:18.5:18.8:19.5:1
Engine NameAVLUCE—J series
Wheelbase1370mm1370mm1410mm1400mm
Kerb Weight175kg175kg160kg191kg
Fuel Tank14.3l14.3l13l15l
Fuel injectionCarburettorCarburettorEFIEFI
Valve OperationPushrodsSelf-adjusting PushrodsDOHCSOHC
Motorcycle Spec comparison

Looking forward to many long rides!

Motorcycle

Road trip

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I sold my last motorcycle back in 2015 & since then have not experienced a motorcycle road trip. A few weeks ago, I bought a new(ish) motorcycle from a departing Expat. Its the Stallions Centaur CT400 with a 400cc single cylinder 4 valve engine. I have ridden it many times since then, but only local short commutes. It goes without saying, the feeling of wanderlust has been building up inside me since.

Today morning, I went about my usual schedule and even started my office work. After taking stock of my work, I realized I had nothing too urgent to finish today. I decided to take the day off and head out to the highway on the motorcycle.

I settled on Ko Lan, an island around 160km away. To get there, you need to ride till Bali Hai Pier at Pattaya and then take a ferry to the island. I hastily collected a few things, put on Pink Floyd’s Pulse and headed out on the highway. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that the fastest highway to Pattaya doesn’t allow motorcycles on it. Fortunately, the other highway which does allow Motorcycles was also more suitable for Motorcycle rides. Highway 3 is a winding 4-6 lane road which hugs the coast and passes near many beaches.

Motorcycle Road Trip
Highway 3

After escaping the mad traffic of Bangkok, I was finally able to open up the throttle on the highway. The motorcycle performs very well on the highway, cruising easily between 100-120kmph without too many vibrations (For a single cylinder engine). There’s ample reserve power for going faster for overtaking, too. I was able to reach Pattaya in 2.5 hours.

Deserted Bali Hai Pier

I was quickly disappointed to find the pier deserted and learnt that boats to Ko Lan were stopped because of the pandemic. Dejected, I decided to explore Pattaya instead and headed to Pattaya Beach. Thankfully, Chonburi province allows dine-in and I was able to have lunch at the beach.

  • Relaxing at Pattaya Beach
  • Pattaya Waterfront

After getting my feet wet in the water and relaxing for sometime, I headed back to Bangkok. I wanted to stay and watch the sunset but the constant attempts by she-pimps to persuade me to get a “massage” got on my nerves. My phone ran out of battery on the way back, and I lost my way twice on the outskirts of Bangkok but eventually reached home.

After going on a motorcycle road trip after so many years, I feel exhilarated. Needless to say, there will be many more road trips in the months to come.

Education, Motorcycle, Rant

My Worst Purchases-Honda Activa

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So, I was “studying” in my first year of engineering (around the year 2002) in Nagpur and living with 2 of my seniors in a rented apartment. For those not familiar with Nagpur, public transportation was almost non-existent at that time and 95% of the people rode 2-wheelers (Motorcycles, Scooters & Mopeds), remaining 5% had cars.

I had nothing of my own and soon started to feel the heat of wanting to go everywhere but not being able to go anywhere.

I wanted to buy a bike, but the aforementioned jealous roommates didn’t want me to have one, so brainwashed my father into buying me a Honda Activa. I was desperate for anything, so didn’t argue much and greedily accepted it.

The Activa is by no means a bad scooter and it is quite handy for middle age men/women looking for a quick trip to the nearby stores or for kids who are just learning to ride. For a college freshman however, it was the social equivalent of walking around college with “dork” written on the back of his head in Bold letters.

As if the social ridicule wasn’t enough, the scooter was also not suited for a hormone ridden teenager riding around town “trying” to show off and competing with motorcycles. Inherently unstable, it caused me to have numerous accidents within the first few months itself.

Eventually, it was either continuing to ride the monstrosity or drop out of college, so I chose the former and sold it before it had completed one year.

It took 2/3 years, the manliest bike available in India at that time and a year away from college for people to forget I had one.

Motorcycle

Thunderbird Twinspark – Initial impressions

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Yesterday I became the proud owner of a Thunderbird Twinspark, 2012 model.

Since I got my last bike around 8 years ago, which was eventually stolen, the price has gone up around 50%. I was curious to find out what improvements the company had added in all these years and how different it was from my last one. Here’re my views as of now (100km)

  1. The colour is deeper and the texture feels smoother overall
  2. The front disc brake seems to be the same. Feels smoother than what I am used to, but my bike was almost 60000 km old
  3. The headlamp is brighter and now works even when the engine is turned off
  4. The instrument console is mostly the same, with minor differences
  5. The switchgear is much better. The indicator switch, the engine on/off switch, the push start switch all feel sturdy and softer. There’s no decompressor lever. The dipper switch which was almost unusable in the old bike is much better now. The handlebar weights are now chrome
  6. The “Royal Enfield” decal on the tank is now embossed rather than printed on a sticker. Frankly I preferred the latter
  7. They have added reflectors on both sides of the chassis just below the tank for better visibility when getting on/off the road
  8. The electric start is fast and responsive
  9. The kickstarter is largely in-effective. It doesn’t even engage with the engine till half-way down and it is clear that they have included it for exceptional cases and the electric starter is intended to start the vehicle most of the times
  10. The real brake is more effective and has less play
  11. The seat is more comfortable, especially for the lower back
  12. The factory fitted horn (single unit) is terrible. I had to get Bosch dual-tone horns fitted before I dared to take it out on the road
  13. The seating position seems to have been slightly tweaked for the better
  14. The center stand is better designed and requires very little effort to get the bike on and off the stand
  15. The wiring is better hidden and feels more taut

Here’re my thoughts on the engine

  1. The engine is smoother and feels sturdier and more reliable. Would know more in the long run
  2. The whirring noise from the engine is very noticeable. However, I know from experience that this would go down as the engine is driven in
  3. There’s almost no noise from the Pushrods or due to Cam backlash. Again, the consistency needs to be tested in the long run
  4. The torque and power is noticeably more, but I would know more once the engine is run in some more and I am able to rev to higher RPMs.
  5. Gear shifting is still tricky and false neutrals though quite rare, are still there.
I did around 100km since yesterday. Hope to complete 500km in 7-10 days so that the bike can go through its first servicing.
Motorcycle, Nostalgia

Goodbye to an old companion

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Today is a sad day. Even though my bike was stolen almost 4 and half months ago, the reality hit my hard today. Maybe I hoped all along that my bike would be found and returned to me (even though the Police had made it clear that they don’t do any sort of investigations). The insurance company today gave me a cheque which is supposed to compensate me for losing my bike.
I booked my bike in December 2003 at Paragon Traders, the only Royal Enfield dealers in Nagpur at that time. My parents promised to buy it for me if I did well in my 3rd semester exams (everyone knows how that turned out). After a short waiting time, I was promised delivery in January 2004. I was at home in Chandigarh at that time and couldn’t wait to get back to Nagpur to get my hands on my new bike.
Finally, with a demand draft in hand, I was on a train back to Nagpur. I remember I couldn’t sleep the entire night because of anticipation. The train was supposed to reach at around 5.30 in the evening next day but I had taken my luggage and was standing near the train door since 4.30. Luckily, the train reached on time and I rushed home to drop my things and head to the dealership.
When I saw my bike, MH-31-XX-NN for the first time and was handed over the keys, I could hardly believe what was happening. It all seemed like a dream to me. The feeling I had when I rode the bike home was one of sheer pride. Everyone at the traffic lights would stare at us and some would ask the mileage or the price. In college, from far, I could see people gathered around my bikeShortly afterwards, my parents moved to Kolkata where I also moved with my bike for a year. Even though riding the bike was not as much fun as it was in Nagpur, we had a good time there.
The last 2 years of my engineering days in Nagpur were the best. All of us friends used to go on long rides to Boar Dam, Ramtek and many random places like Katol as well. The bike always performed efortlessly and reliability was flawless. I remember consistent full throttle runs which would take the bike above 120; even at those speeds it would feel smooth.

During this time, I started to fiddle with my bike and learnt basic things like opening the clutch compartment,  tuning the carb pitot jet etc. I experimented with various silencers (The Electra Glass Wool one and the Standard Short bottle one). We even used to roam around town with no silencer at all, scaring nearby people.

After that, graduation was over and I moved with my bike to Kolkata. My bike didn’t fare as well in Kolkata though. The piston siezed once because the oil pump was jammed and I had to get extensive engine work done. I still remember making multiple trips to the Enfield dealer in Wellington (twice with my mom as well) to get spares.
After a year in Kolkata, I moved to Gurgaon in a bid to improve my career and financial condition. Somehow I lost my bike’s registration certificate due to which I could not take it along with me. I remember making a single day trip to Nagpur by air to get the necessary work done at Nagpur RTO. Finally, after a month I got a new RC and was able to get my bike shipped to Gurgaon.

I remember once that I had not ridden my bike for more than a month during the monsoons. Older Enfields were prone to water leakage in the clutch compartment, which rusted my bike’s clutch plates and they welded together. The bike was completely immobile. I called the only 2 Royal Enfield Service Centers in Gurgaon but they refused to come to my place and fix the bike or tow it to their workshops. I woke up 4 hours earlier than I generally did those days, went to the dealership, got a brand new set of clutch plates and replaced them myself. It was a proud day. It was also in Gurgaon once that for the first time in 7 years, my bike refused to start at all (It turned out to be a bad connector on the battery).

As I did in Nagpur, I used to park my bike on the street in Gurgaon as well and never locked the handle. Someone exploited this security hole and stole my bike on New Year’s eve. My new year was ruined and I spent it at home.
Getting the necessary paperwork from Gurgaon Police was a major headache. Sometimes they made me feel as if it was my fault that my bike was stolen. They asked questions like “Who asked you to buy such an expensive bike?”. I also had to get some paers from Nagpur RTO, which was a pain. However, I commend ICICI Lombard insurance company for a no hassle claim process. They sent me the compensation cheque within a month of the police declaring the bike as “no-trace”.
I would have felt at ease if my bike was destroyed in an accident. What bothers me that someone else is riding my bike somewhere (I hardly allowed anyone to ride my bike). The only consolation is that I might never know.
Everything good must come to an end and so did my relationship with my bike. It was one of the things I was most fond of and it will always have a place very close to my heart.
Some old articles