Hi all -- I just want to introduce myself. I'm a newly licensed motorcyclist (though an experienced city bicyclist and electric scooter rider) in my late 40s in NYC. I have a 2010 Bullet 500 C5 (maroon) which I bought new from a local dealer about 6 weeks ago. (They somehow got hold of a new 2010 with zero miles.) I've reached about 800 miles (had my 600-mile service) and have ridden enough to have some coherent impressions, which I want to share.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
The bike is great! Fun to ride, in the city and out on the road; plenty of power for my needs; fits me fine (6'2", 250 lbs). Having just traded up from an electric scooter with a large parcel area at my feet, I miss the cargo capacity, but having a bike that can go faster than 20mph and further than 15 miles on a full charge is worth it.
I use the bike to commute to work (about 3 miles) and for my day-to-day getting around in New York City and beyond. I'm fortunate to have a motorcycle club with a heated garage within easy walking distance of my apartment. I'm used to being wet and cold from when I ride a bicycle, and so far I have ridden every day I've been in town when there hasn't been actual ice on the road, including a 20-mile ride to JFK Airport in the freezing cold to catch a flight. (Fun fact: free motorcycle parking at NYC-area airports!). I've taken one slow-speed spill (on a slick steel street plate on Central Park West, which I saw and slowed for but didn't know how to handle, which didn't hurt me or the bike seriously. (Now I know: stay off the front brake in such situations!)
On the whole, the bike runs perfectly. No problems at all with the engine (starting or running) or electrical. And I mean AT ALL. I have never had to think about it; it just starts and runs, in all kinds of weather. Traction is quite good, even on wet pavement, and the bike corners effortlessly. I do ride it a bit more gently than I rode my 100-pound electric scooter (which was practically impossible to destabilize).
MINOR MECHANICAL/WORKMANSHIP ISSUES
Regarding the transmission, I'm occasionally having the kinds of problems that are widely reported with false neutrals and jamming on downshifts. My dealer said "this isn't normal, leave us the bike for 2 weeks so we can disassemble the transmission under warranty and look at it," but I'm not convinced it's anything more than break-in and me learning the bike. I'm going to ride another 500 miles and see how I feel. I do have 30 years' experience driving a manual transmission car, so I have the right instincts, I just have to learn to translate them into different body movements.
I'm not getting quite the gas mileage I anticipated -- I've barely broken 40 MPG, in a regimen almost entirely made up of stop-and-go driving in heavy city traffic. Next week I plan to do a 200-mile round trip ride (with an overnight) and I'll get a better sense then of whether highway speeds bring up the average. I did take one 40-mile round-trip (to City Island, in the Bronx) and the bike handled fine at 60mph. I didn't feel bothered by vibration at all.
The gas cap doesn't seal well -- there are a lot of fumes always, and parking a full tank on the side stand can results in dribbles down the side. I'm going to install a cork gasket and see if it helps. The paint is also being eaten away at the mouth of the tank (where the gas cap seals). These are both issues that have already been reported on the forum and I'm not particularly worried about them.
The rear mudguard (the curved shield above the rear tire) is unevenly set between the left and right rails.
This is all I can think of that's worth mentioning.
ACCESSORIES AND GEAR
Since I'm a middle-aged person, I ride with full gear always: a full-face helmet, an armored jacket, knee and shin guards, gloves, and boots. It seems like a lot, but you get used to it. I've also bought Carhartt double-front dungarees in four colors and they've become my everyday pants.
I've accessorized the bike as follows:
- I bought the Clocks 4 Bikes handlebar clock and thermometer from Nfield Gear.
- I have a Coleman magnetic tank bag. It has caused a few small scratches on the tank but I try to be careful with it to minimize the risk of that.
- I've installed clear wind deflectors on the left and right handlebars to enable me to ride more comfortably in cold weather. They're the kind that fit onto the mirror stalks. They are generic aftermarket but fit the bike fine.
- I installed a Platepuller so that I can easily slide the license plate out.
- I just recently installed the OEM standard pillion seat (bought from Hitchcocks), the same seat that comes preinstalled by some dealers. I'm not particularly mechanical but I had no trouble installing it myself. So now I have a bit more cargo capacity.
I also bent the left footpeg when I dropped the bike (at slow speed per the above) and have replaced it with OEM parts (again from Hitchcocks).
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I'm sure I'll have more to say, but that's it for now. We are expecting a blizzard tonight and there'll be snow tomorrow (Saturday). If the streets are cleared and salted by Sunday, which is likely, I'll only have to skip one day of riding...