Author Topic: New C5 owner with good, bad & ugly  (Read 8553 times)

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SSR

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on: March 09, 2010, 02:10:43 pm
Greetings to all RE comrades.

I own a C5 C-green which I bought in November last year after impatiently waiting for few weeks.

Here is my mini review which I posted on a Indian Auto forum. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/73998-royal-enfield-500-classic-4100-km-ownership-review.html

Some pics of it, hope you like it. Will post more a bit later.
 


In brief, I have done 4350Miles so far. To my observation it has some flaws which either I have taken care of or RE has provided a solution to it.

When I bought the bike I had the tool kit missing as they had supplied me with tool kit from Thunderbird UCE Indian model. With which i could not even open up the plugs and only thing I could do was to remove the rear tyre or replace a head lamp bulb. RE provided me with the C5 tool kit later on after complaining about it.

Then I had an oil leak from the kick shaft seal which upon replacing second time got sorted.
Had Issues with black smoke  coming on cold start which to this day exist even after replacing the plugs to high temp range. Some of us down here blame it on missing O2.

Within couple of months the center stand moved a bit forward, resulting in a bit of effort to take it off the stand and on sharp turns it would touch on road. Me and my local RE engineer worked out a way of resolving it without touching the chassis by modding the existing stand. Before I could chop my stand he made few calls to RE R&D and they were aware of the problem and they had worked out exactly the same solution which we had in mind. So now they are sending me a new stand with adjustments to cure the solution. They have rectified the problem in the new G5/C5 manufactured in January 2010 and after. Yet to see the same problem in C5 manufactured after december. Although details can be found on y review with pics.

Now my recent and biggest issues I have is the piston making a racket. I am awaiting my new block kit this week and once it arrives then the engine will be opened up to asses the damage. Will be making another post explaining the issues/symptoms and asking for your views about it in detail.



In a nutshell, I love my bike even after so many niggling problems. I do think that there are areas where it definitely needs improvement.

Specially the paint job. On mine it has already started to rust on some parts of the chassis.

Recently I changed the exhaust to upswept and here is what I feel about it;

Yes its loud and I loved it for a week but now I am bored. It breaks wind sometimes gently or loudly with a bang. Gets embarrassing sometimes when its not expected and on slower speeds.

Its tone changes at high speeds from a meatier one to a more less basy thump. Which is really annoying. This happens when I feel the engine is running lean.

Performance wise I feel the improvement is at the top end. As normally my bike would take its time to reach Its top speed of 124km/hr but with the upswept it goes smoothly to the top.

Acceleration feels smooth.

It has already rattled itself within a week and to be changed under warranty.

Please forgive me for my bit of hotch potch write up as I have so many things crossing my brains about this bike at the moment. So putting info in one go is a bit tricky for me. Although If you people do not find it offensive to click on the link to my review about my C5 on a different forum then please do so. As I have compiled it a far better then at this moment.

I do apologize in advance for being rude on this part.



« Last Edit: March 09, 2010, 02:31:08 pm by SSR »


singhg5

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Reply #1 on: March 09, 2010, 03:09:40 pm
Sat Sree Akaal:

Great photos of your C5. Loved the review you had posted on the team-bhp. Your license plate suggests that you are in Chandigarh. My alma mater, PU, Sector 14.  

Yes one can look at this beauty every day and still love it.  Waah !  Kayaa baat hai. Thought I share with you a view of my Black Stallion - G5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV_K5O25w6A

singhg5

 
« Last Edit: March 10, 2010, 02:05:02 am by singhg5 »
1970's Jawa /  Yezdi
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2009 Royal Enfield Black G5


Ice

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Reply #2 on: March 10, 2010, 01:10:38 am
 It bothers me that the Indian market bikes don't get the o2 sensor and seem to have problems that are not common to bikes sent to other markets.  :-[
No matter where you go, there, you are.


Bullet Bill

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Reply #3 on: March 10, 2010, 01:53:31 am
I was under the impression that the home/Indian market C-5's, at least the 350, were carburetted.  Hence the lack of O2 sensor.  At least one of the two models was based off the Thunderbird Twinspark in terms of fuel delivery.

Source/s:  press releases from www.bulletclassic.com
Also, Scooterbob at the International Motorcycle Show in Chicago.  It was great meeting you!
There's something that doesn't make sense... let's go and poke it with a stick.


ace.cafe

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Reply #4 on: March 10, 2010, 01:59:29 am
That's a very handsome motorcycle.
I like that color more and more, every time I see one.

Perhaps they should just make the home-market bikes just like  the ones that they export.
The export models seem to have fewer complaints.
Home of the Fireball 535 !


singhg5

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Reply #5 on: March 10, 2010, 02:14:08 am
I was under the impression that the home/Indian market C-5's, at least the 350, were carburetted.  Hence the lack of O2 sensor.  At least one of the two models was based off the Thunderbird Twinspark in terms of fuel delivery.

Source/s:  press releases from www.bulletclassic.com
Also, Scooterbob at the International Motorcycle Show in Chicago.  It was great meeting you!

For Indian market, Classic 500 (close to C5 in US with some differences) is Electronic Fuel Injected.  Indian bike, Classic 500, has two spark plugs and no oxygen sensor. The reason for not having an oxygen sensor in Classic 500 is not known. 

Two other Indian models, Classic 350 (no equivalent in US) and Thunderbird (350 cc, no equivalent in US) have carburetors.  Both have two spark plugs.

http://www.royalenfield.com/app/comparemodels.aspx
« Last Edit: March 10, 2010, 02:37:44 am by singhg5 »
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2006 Honda Nighthawk
2009 Royal Enfield Black G5


SSR

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Reply #6 on: March 10, 2010, 04:54:05 pm
@Singh

Sat Sree Akaal Veer ji.

Good to know you liked my review :) Yes I am from Chandigarh and so were you once upon a time hehe. Don't you miss the PU days and the gedi route?

Liked your bike, nice video. I envy you for riding the RE in USA with such better roads and civilized traffic. How much has it done so far?

@Ice- You feel bad for C5 owners down here, just think how we feel who are at the receiving end.

@Ace- Thanks for the complement Sir. RE will never provide the same model to the domestic market simply because there is not much saving and some people will buy it regardless of issues or flaws. TATA has been doing it for ages and still people buy them.


csbdr

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Reply #7 on: March 11, 2010, 03:07:26 am
It still seems to me to be an odd way to do business...make 2 versions of the bike for no discernable reason. Pretty inefficient, and a failure in this case.


SSR

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Reply #8 on: March 11, 2010, 04:34:44 pm
There is a real reason for RE not to manufacture the same bike here. Its the price tag, they don't want to have a domestic bike of same specs to export. It's been long since people outside of India were importing RE bikes to their country bypassing the dealers to save some money by doing it themselves.

Now they want to grow their brand in foreign market and help the new dealers to make some cash while creating a monopoly for the dealer. If the same spec bike was available here then people will start exporting to their countries which RE does not want. Saying that, in my city I have seen 10 German and few Brits who have bought the bike to take it to their countries.


clubman

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Reply #9 on: March 11, 2010, 09:04:30 pm
There is a real reason for RE not to manufacture the same bike here. Its the price tag, they don't want to have a domestic bike of same specs to export. It's been long since people outside of India were importing RE bikes to their country bypassing the dealers to save some money by doing it themselves.

Now they want to grow their brand in foreign market and help the new dealers to make some cash while creating a monopoly for the dealer. If the same spec bike was available here then people will start exporting to their countries which RE does not want. Saying that, in my city I have seen 10 German and few Brits who have bought the bike to take it to their countries.


Your explanation makes perfect sense but also makes me wonder why RE didn't do this another way. That being to make the UCE carburetted in India? The EU and US markets would still have to import the EFI because of their emissions laws. Might be better than doing an EFI without an important sensor. Maybe cheaper too.


singhg5

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Reply #10 on: March 13, 2010, 06:55:21 pm
@Singh

Sat Sree Akaal Veer ji.

Good to know you liked my review :) Yes I am from Chandigarh and so were you once upon a time hehe. Don't you miss the PU days and the gedi route?

Liked your bike, nice video. I envy you for riding the RE in USA with such better roads and civilized traffic. How much has it done so far?

SSR:

Sat Sree Akaal ji:

How can anyone forget the good old days of PU campus, SUB (Student Union Building dosas), hostel rajmaah and rice, paronthe and chaa on the roadside across from PGI, annual music and bhangra competition at PU !!  Punjab dee mitti, nahee reesaa Punjab diyaan !  But it may have changed quite a bit since those days.

Glad you liked the video.  The day we went out, it was a holiday so the streets had no traffic.  But NJ (New Jersey state) has highest population density and even the back roads have long lines during week days at rush hours.  Today it is cloudy, dark and raining heavily since yesterday and will continue for 1-2 more days (kind of English weather - cloudy, rainy, damp).  Very windy too hitting speeds of up to 40 mph.

My bike has 4700 miles on it and I have just changed its oil last week in preparation for spring and summer rides ahead.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2010, 12:24:04 am by singhg5 »
1970's Jawa /  Yezdi
2006 Honda Nighthawk
2009 Royal Enfield Black G5


SSR

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Reply #11 on: March 19, 2010, 06:26:53 pm
Sat Sree Akaal Veer ji,

PU campus is still the same and so are the brawls. A night food street has been opened near the gate opposite to PGI. Yes, Chd has changed a lot and not to my liking. Worst is the traffic.


Ah, I always hated the British winters specially the dark clouds with misty rain and heavy winds. It gets depressing when it last's for a week. Although one or two days then I never complained. As you get lot of snow in winters, don't you get lot of cracks on the roads?

How is the gritting done in your area, is it just the salt or mix of salt and gravel?

Now you are looking forward to long rides on your G5 with spring approaching and here I am dreading the Indian summers which I hate like anything so no more fun rides for me.