At the age of 48, having given up commuter biking in India 15 years ago, I decided that if I do not fulfil a 30 year old dream of having my own Bullet, I never will - is that a mid life crisis?!
Anyway, after a lot of research on REs India site, I got myself the latest offering in India, the AVL engined RE 500, last month. I am currently living the joys of running in,,,having quite given up on those on the various modern autos that I have "broken in" in the last 15 years! Quite by chance I discovered that the US site is also full of very interesting stuff about REs, hence this post. Having worked my last job in a US MNC in India, I have had to spend a lot of time in the US - it is great place to visit, and I have very good friends and ex colleagues there, but I am sure that folks there would understand my sentiment of not wanting to stay there for good - HDs notwithstanding!
Given too that for most things one needs to look outside of India to satisfy any passion about things motoring/mechanical, it is a wonderful feeling to know that there is one passion that is best fulfilled living in India!
A long time ago - that sounds like Star Wars - I had read books written by Brits in the fifties about bikes, and their running in,,and all those memories are very useful in the running in of the bike. Have to say that the views expressed here, as well as those on the Indian site, have been very useful and entertaining as well. I am not quite sure that I agree with Dew though, when he says ride it like you stole it,, I understand the theory about piston ring sealing, but I would rather be a little more careful than that. Knowing fully well, that the manual recommendations for the running in are a lot of rubbish,,,,What one needs to remember is that running is the final act of machining that RE has not installed technology to accomplish, and is to be done at higher and higher speeds, but with as low a loading as possible, dialling in prolonged exposure to heat build up in a progressive manner. What I like about this process is that the finished motorcycle therefore will be just as good as the person who is a key part of the finishing process - the first owner over the first 2000 or so miles. How many products give one that pleasure today?!
Again, thanks to the various folks across the US that are part of the revival story of RE - may they long prosper, but not so much that they start making bland anonymous food processors attached to two wheels!!