Author Topic: electra 5s  (Read 4370 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

jonapplegate

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 535
  • Karma: 0
  • you stand tall when you stoop to help
on: November 08, 2007, 01:08:00 am
 Hey, has anybody seen the Indian market electra 5s? It is a 350cc but is it an AVL engine? If it is then it is the elusive classic with AVL. Is there hope for an AVL classic?


LJRead

  • Guest
Reply #1 on: November 08, 2007, 03:11:48 am
The Indian Electra 5s has, I believe, the older iron engine.  It has electric start as an option and also electronic ignition and a 5 speed.  The only two Indian bikes with AVL are the Machismo and the Thunderbird.  At present the Machismo has both 350cc and 500cc versions and has a classic retro look, which is nice if you don't mind the upkeep of lots of chrome.  These aren't, to my knowledge, available outside of India (at least in Europe or the U.S.)

Probably the AVL will be phased out with the new unitized engine, so I wouldn't expect a Classic AVL to be imported, but possibly CMW has plans to.


indian48

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 225
  • Karma: 0
Reply #2 on: November 08, 2007, 07:00:23 am
I have just bought the Indian AVL 500, I am not sure that there isnt too much chrome on it. I prefer the look of the all black US Electra instead to be honest, and will probably change the looks of my bike soon. I am not sure I like the look of the unitized engine, and the AVL is to my mind a good mix of reliability and RE looks. The AVL engine seems to be selling well in India, and that is good news for its long life. I am not sure how it will keep up with emission regulations in the US/EU though. I suspect that same regs will mean that the cast iron engine too may not qualify which would be a huge disappointment there, I reckon.
If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well


LJRead

  • Guest
Reply #3 on: November 08, 2007, 07:01:56 pm
So you have a new Machismo, I take it.  Where I live humidity is a problem and the chrome is hard to keep up, but I probably make too big a deal of it.  It is the nooks and crannies that I worry about, but maybe some sort of protection like a varnish or clear seal could be given to those areas of chrome that don't show.

Out of curiosity, what is the going cost of a bike like yours these days in India.  Indian Rupees is alright and I can convert.  The U.S. dollar is so low, I think their price is getting up there in U.S. terms.  I think the last quote I had on a bike same as yours was 125,000 rupees or about $3,100 U. S. dollars.  Part of the leveling off process that is occurring worldwide, such that none of us soon will be able to afford anything!!!  Hold onto what you have; Make it last!!! :)


indian48

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 225
  • Karma: 0
Reply #4 on: November 08, 2007, 11:16:55 pm
The chrome is just the front fender, and the fuel tank, and a couple of easy to reach places, as you will see from the pic I have posted. If you are able to take care of the entire bike already where you stay, from a rusting perspective, just this additional chrome will not be an issue, I'd suspect. The nooks and crannies remain the same, and just as prone to rusting in humid weather, as I remember from the time I owned a bike in Goa, which is on the coast - hot and humid.
The 500 machismo is available in India for Rs 110000, all taxes paid and included.
If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well


LJRead

  • Guest
Reply #5 on: November 09, 2007, 12:05:13 am
Thanks for the info - one problem with buying a bike from India (provided you are able to import it) is that there are many low priced and attractive accessories that can go with it that are correspondingly cheap and too much of a temptation to leave out of the crate!

I'm awaiting a used Thunderbird due in any time now - it is a 2003 model.  I live in the South Pacific, so no problem (I hope) with import restrictions.

I think most on this forum envy you your ability to even buy such a jewel.  Wonder why the Machismo hasn't been exported to the U.S.?  I'm sure it would be given a preferential marketplace in the U.S.

Is Goa as outstanding a place as the Indian movies portray it?  How did you manage to leave?

Regards,

Larry


indian48

  • Bulleteer
  • ***
  • Posts: 225
  • Karma: 0
Reply #6 on: November 09, 2007, 05:00:29 am
Good luck with your T bird, will this be your first RE?? Why did you prefer to buy a used one? The machismo is the same bike that was available only outside India, as the Electra X, the one with the 500 AVL engine. RE has made that model available to us only since mid 2007. It has a chromed front fender, and chrome on the tank, the battery box, and the chain cover, that is the only difference. Perhaps RE thinks that in India the bright shiny look is more in demand than an understated one? Anyone who has visited the country knows how colorfully even trucks are painted up here, for instance!
I left Goa 25 years ago, in pursuit of a career in the corporate world in India, it was a very laid back place then. Great to tool around on a bike, but was not the place for me at that age. Now that I would love to go back there, it is largely ruined because it has been " discovered" !
If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well