[1 Thump]

Dear Forum

I just ordered a 2009 AVL electra. This will be my first RE.  I am really excited. I live in DE, and will be visiting India next month. I want to get accessories from India ( Low seat, halogen lamp, chrome fenders etc). They are much cheaper there. I would like to know as to which is the equivalent bike in India, that I should look for parts for.

Many Thanks.

[1Blackwolf1]

  I believe that the Electra is also produced for the home (India) market.  If you do a web search for dealers in India I believe it will put you on the correct track.  Welcomne aboard and have fun.  Will.

[1 Thump]

Thats a great idea. I ll try that.

Can someone please post a youtube video of regular maintainance DIY stuff (Oil Change etc).

From a perusal of the forum it appears that there are ways to tweak air filters/oil filters to get more horse power from the stock engine. Is that so ? Any suggestions ?

Thanks.

[1Blackwolf1]

  Plenty of low buck ways to open up the engine.  Less restricted air filter and exhaust.  Rejetting will be required for those changes.  Ace offers really well engineered products, sky is almost the limit.  Just decide what you want to do after shopping the store here, and let us know what you decide. 
 
  As far as general maintenance the owners manual is the rule, get a Pete Snidal manual as soon as possible.  Will.

[1 Thump]

                                                                                                                                                                     v                                                                                                          

[Vince]

     Okay, I am going to be the Grinch.
     Kevin Mahoney is the owner of Classic Motorworks, which hosts this forum. I, for one, find it in poor taste to use this forum  with the intention to bypass the importer who supports it. A lot of information is freely traded here, but I think this steps over the line. As a dealer I find the price or parts and accessories from CMW to be at or below industry averages. Part of the costs associated with the parts are import duties. ARE YOU GOING TO DECLARE THESE PARTS TO CUSTOMS AND PAY THESE TARIFFS? If so, you will find the pricing much closer to local pricing. Also, you will find that the parts you get will be generally sub-standard. Kevin brings in the best quality available for export. The stuff that is not exported is not made to the same standards.
     That dealer you don't want to buy parts from has a labor rate predicated on selling those parts. With no profit margin from parts labor costs you more. Your effort to "save" will cost you more in the long run, plus a higher percentage of the money you spend will go out of the country.
     We all want to save money. You are trading short term savings for long term satisfaction and usage. And you are doing this in the forum of the very people that make it possible for you to get the product. At the very least, you might consider taking this discussion to one of the other independent RE forums.

[Anon]

Also where do I get the Pete Snidal manual .

Thanks

Right here from our host:
http://store.royalenfieldusa.com/merchandise/books/snidal-repair-guide-spiral-bound

[Bullet.wagon]

Quite a few new poster's do not know or realize this forum is connected to a full Enfield store, er well the best in North America. Although,I found  the store first and then the forum in my case.

[Blltrdr]

I just want to add to what Vince has pointed out that Kevin has stated many times that he has to constantly watch the production quality of his suppliers from India to bring the best quality aftermarket parts to sell in support of his motorcycle sales here in the US. So your not just paying for the part when you buy through CMW, you pay for the leg work spent tracking down reputable parts manufactures that will build to the consistent quality you require. I'm most positive that this has to be an uphill battle. But if you want to run around India trying to check off your parts list then I wish you well.

[1 Thump]

     Okay, I am going to be the Grinch.
     Kevin Mahoney is the owner of Classic Motorworks, which hosts this forum. I, for one, find it in poor taste to use this forum  with the intention to bypass the importer who supports it. A lot of information is freely traded here, but I think this steps over the line. As a dealer I find the price or parts and accessories from CMW to be at or below industry averages. Part of the costs associated with the parts are import duties. ARE YOU GOING TO DECLARE THESE PARTS TO CUSTOMS AND PAY THESE TARIFFS? If so, you will find the pricing much closer to local pricing. Also, you will find that the parts you get will be generally sub-standard. Kevin brings in the best quality available for export. The stuff that is not exported is not made to the same standards.
     That dealer you don't want to buy parts from has a labor rate predicated on selling those parts. With no profit margin from parts labor costs you more. Your effort to "save" will cost you more in the long run, plus a higher percentage of the money you spend will go out of the country.
     We all want to save money. You are trading short term savings for long term satisfaction and usage. And you are doing this in the forum of the very people that make it possible for you to get the product. At the very least, you might consider taking this discussion to one of the other independent RE forums.

Point well taken. I understand that this forum is setup by the importer, obviously who is in the business for profit. Also, i d agree that it is probably better to discuss it on an independent forum. I did buy the bike from a dealer who in turn bought it from the importer. So Kevin did make money from me. It is also nice to see support for him.

[1Blackwolf1]

  Let me back track..and offer an apology to the site.  I simply offered a suggestion since he was traveling to India.  I figure if he's going to lug parts back..it's on him.  My bad..as far as customs..you will get pinched anymore coming in from out of country..so tariff/taxes are paid.

  Again my apologies..don't mean to offend anyone.  Will.

[Geirskogul]

Jesus Christ people are touchy.  I find nothing wrong with supporting the site and CMW (their quality is top-notch), but I also find nothing wrong with buying items on a trip where they will be much, much cheaper.  If anything it will increase your Enfield Enjoyment Index (EEI), which can only be good.

[1Blackwolf1]

  Especially when I generally go to bat for the site and store.  Have even told other riders that the quality of sourced parts is a crap shoot.  But then again haven't complained about a couple stinkers I got from them either (this includes the store). 

  Heck even read a posting from someone on the inside of the business advising to buy small items first to check quality before buying large ticket parts.  Makes sense to me.  Oh well cest la vie.  Will.

[UncleErnie]

My $.02;
This forum is an amazing marketing tool. CMW / Mr Mahoney are to be congradulated for genious.  It is a BIG reason I decided to get an Enfield after ruminating for a looong time.  BUT-
I also feel that it is (or does it just pretend to be?) a Royal Enfield forum first and foremost.  I don't think anyone should be afraid to talk about a Royal Enfield in any way. 
Education, and possibly even remonstration -OK, but coming down on someone like a ton of bricks is a little overboard. 

Yes?  No?

[1 Thump]

On second thoughts, I agree. The pretext is that it is an RE forum. So any discussion about RE is legit. Now, I understand that some of the discussion may cost the administrator few bucks. Just a little competetion.

[Blltrdr]

Uncle Ernie I think you are correct as far as free thought on the forum but as far as I can see that is exactly what went on in this exchange on this topic. I really don't care if someone wants to by parts in some other country. I do think the savings will be questionable to say the least. You go through the leg work of tracking down the specific parts then you make arrangements for shipping those parts and once you have them home and start the installation process you find a part missing or once the part is installed it seems to fall apart or not fit correctly then where are you at. Are you going to return the part or get a refund? No, your going to eat it! This is the education part you where referring to, and sometimes a person has to get that education through their pocketbook.

I've never been much of a gambler when it comes to making purchases, I like to know that there is a return policy and that I can count on some decent customer service when needed. It takes an incredible amount of work for any company to build a loyal customer following. My point being that yes you may pay a bit more but the assurance that your product is 100% covered for fit, finish and that you have that customer support to help you select the right part, give advice if needed for installation of that part and the help in returning that part for a new one if something isn't quite right by far out ways the extra cost of the initial purchase.

I look forward to hearing from Burningmay on his part purchasing adventure in India. I think his views and perspective will be very educational and informative for the rest of the forum members.

How many bricks are in a ton? 

[1 Thump]

  Plenty of low buck ways to open up the engine.  Less restricted air filter and exhaust.  Rejetting will be required for those changes.  Ace offers really well engineered products, sky is almost the limit.  Just decide what you want to do after shopping the store here, and let us know what you decide. 
 
  As far as general maintenance the owners manual is the rule, get a Pete Snidal manual as soon as possible.  Will.

So the dealer is going to rejet it for me, and add the classic exhaust. He did not recommend changing the air filter. What say ye ?

[Blltrdr]

So the dealer is going to rejet it for me, and add the classic exhaust. He did not recommend changing the air filter. What say ye ?

Definitely change the filter if you've got the stock one. You can untap a lot of HP with filter, exhaust and re-jetting. K&N or Ace canister would be a good bet.

[1 Thump]

Uncle Ernie I think you are correct as far as free thought on the forum but as far as I can see that is exactly what went on in this exchange on this topic. I really don't care if someone wants to by parts in some other country. I do think the savings will be questionable to say the least. You go through the leg work of tracking down the specific parts then you make arrangements for shipping those parts and once you have them home and start the installation process you find a part missing or once the part is installed it seems to fall apart or not fit correctly then where are you at. Are you going to return the part or get a refund? No, your going to eat it! This is the education part you where referring to, and sometimes a person has to get that education through their pocketbook.

I've never been much of a gambler when it comes to making purchases, I like to know that there is a return policy and that I can count on some decent customer service when needed. It takes an incredible amount of work for any company to build a loyal customer following. My point being that yes you may pay a bit more but the assurance that your product is 100% covered for fit, finish and that you have that customer support to help you select the right part, give advice if needed for installation of that part and the help in returning that part for a new one if something isn't quite right by far out ways the extra cost of the initial purchase.

I look forward to hearing from Burningmay on his part purchasing adventure in India. I think his views and perspective will be very educational and informative for the rest of the forum members.

How many bricks are in a ton? 

Leaving Christmas day. Will be back mid Jan. Will definitely update this post then, with pics and prices.

[Blltrdr]

Leaving Christmas day. Will be back mid Jan. Will definitely update this post then, with pics and prices.

Great, have a great time. Hope you find what your seeking. Will look forward to the update.

[Ice]

Congrats,, Let us know when you bike arrives.

[Tiny Tim]

Here's a point to consider.

Would you stand at CMW's storecounter or any of the dealers storecounters and expect to have this conversation with other shoppers without feeling that you may have said the right thing but in the wrong place when it goes quiet and a tumbleweed blows through the store?

I for one think that it smacks of rudeness and bad etiquette but perhaps that's just me being British?.

On a different tack, I know from experience that parts supplied locally in India are often not OEM parts even though they are presented as such. Therefore the quality is suspect. This is not a problem for the supplier as he knows that you won't be back.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

[UncleErnie]

That's a good point.
I've been in retail pretty much all my life and I realize that about 80% of your business comes from around 20% of your customers.  I suppose those numbers may vary some in a situation like this?
Anyway- the point is, education helps insure long term customer satisfaction and repeat sales (and word-of-mouth advertising).  I have told people the reasons I charge what I do and how I stand behind my product.  I've even recommended they try somewhere else.  My experience is, most come back after trying Brand-X.  The one's who don't come back- what have you really lost?