Author Topic: I Just Put a Deposit Down on a New ...  (Read 7562 times)

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prof_stack

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on: August 13, 2010, 10:09:18 pm
Okay, I pulled the trigger today and put a $500 (refundable) deposit on a 2010 C5 in black.  Black looks faster.   :D

I asked the fine people at Ducati Seattle to install the large headlamp and put a visor in place.  I will pay msrp plus the assorted fees AND 9.5% WA state sales tax (gotta love it here, not).  Hey, I’m doing my part to kick-start this economy, so to speak!    ;D

This was after another test-ride, this one 20 miles.  Mostly 45-50 mph in 5th gear.  For me, the seating position is perfect.  I used my full-faced helmet for this ride and discovered that this motor and pipe are quieter than the Moto Guzzi Nevada 750 with all of its mechanical racket and stock pipe.

The new C5 will arrive next week, I believe.  Owner Dave was nice enough to give me the Nfieldgear Parts and Accessories, Part 1  catalog.  VERY nice, but not so many things yet for UCE bikes.

A few questions for those with the UCE motor:
  • How much does the vibration change over time and miles?  I imagine things smooth out after a few thousand miles, right?
  • Is there a best place to keep the oil level as seen through the sight glass?
  • When is a good time (in miles) to switch to full synthetic oil?  I assume 20W-50 is correct.  Please don't start an oil thread mess.   ;)
  • The tool kit lid would not open.  The key turned and the front lip pulled out, but not the back lip.  What is the secret for getting the lid off?
  • Can the front fender come off for a full cleaning without removing or loosening the forks?
  • What are prudent things for a new owner to do?  Like, wax the bolt heads to stop rust, or check fasteners after every ride.
  • While I don't mind the sound level of the stock torpedo muffler, are there any shorter or upswept options that are worth the time and money?
  • Finally, are there any insurance companies that are sweet on singles?

Thanks a lot, guys.  Finally getting a Royal Enfield will end 8 years of searching, pining, and plotting.  I'm hoping it will be my best thumper yet.
A Royal Enfield owner's cup is always half full.


r80rt

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Reply #1 on: August 13, 2010, 10:36:06 pm
After 2000 miles the engine will a LOT smoother, you'll love it. Keep the oil level between the lines. My dealer put full synthetic in before I picked it up, he also said 20-50 was too heavy, The tool box is a royal pain to open. never removed a fender for cleaning. Never waxed a bolt, haven't had a single thing need to be tightened. The upswept is loud, expensive and you have to remove it to adjust the chain, I like it a lot. The shorty is worth it too. I use Dairyland Insurance. You did good and got yourself a hell of a fun bike!
« Last Edit: August 14, 2010, 03:20:31 pm by r80rt »
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singhg5

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Reply #2 on: August 13, 2010, 10:39:30 pm
Prof_Stack:

Welcome to the Forum and Bullet riders. You made a good choice - The fastest of the C5s - a Black one  ;)

I will respond to some of your questions - but I have a G5  (Fastest of the G5 - Black one  ;D )

1.  Oil level - right at the Upper Line in the Window or slightly lower  (Not higher).

2.  You can switch to fully synthetic after 2 oil changes or after 2000 miles.  But IMHO it is better to do first oil change after 150- 200 miles, then at 1000 miles and then every 2000 miles.  (The Owners Manual suggests oil change less frequently than what I do).

3.  Prudent things to do for a new owner -
      a.  Strongly recommend to change OEM acid battery to a GEL or Sealed battery.
      b.  Keep cables and chain clean and well lubed.
      c.  Chain WILL stretch pretty soon AND may stretch 2 to 3 times - so keep adjusting chain tension every few hundred miles.
       d. Tighten EVERY bolt and EVERY screw head that you can see on your bike after every few hundred miles until two oil changes.
      e.  IMHO - run the bike as is until your first or second oil change, BEFORE making changes or modifications.  That will give you enough time to find faults (if any) in your unit and chance to understand it better.  If you do mods first, you may not know if that caused any problem or is the unit at fault.  Also a mod may void your Manufacturer Warranty.

4.  Be ready to be stopped in parking lots or traffic lights to talk and explain to curious and well meaning looker-ons asking "Is it a Norton ?" "Who makes it ?" etc.

Hope you have it soon under your seat and you enjoy thousands of miles on your C5.

singhg5
« Last Edit: August 13, 2010, 10:45:51 pm by singhg5 »
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Ducati Scotty

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Reply #3 on: August 13, 2010, 10:41:35 pm
-Vibration, a lot!  It will really smooth out at higher revs over the first 1500-2000 miles.  You don't need a tack, if it shakes slow down the revs.  Plenty of torque to short shift while breaking in.
-I think half way up is best.  This is after warming up, don't look at it dead cold after not running for hours.  If you go to the top it can tend to spit into the air cleaner at higher rvs.
-I'm going to switch to full synthetic after about 3000 or so.  I've got 13XX miles and I'll change before my 1500 mile trip with dino in two weeks.  I'll change to synthetic when I get back.
-Just get it open and closed a few times.  It gets easier and you get used to it.  And when you do get it open lube the rubber grommets with some chain lube or light grease so it's easier next time.
-Not sure.
-Check your engine and frame mounting bolts often for the first few thousand miles, then at every oil change.  Use threadlock or lock washers if some keep loosening.  Check, adjust, and lube your chain often.
-Several options.  Look through the first few pages of posts in this section.
-I'm paying about $200/year for full coverage with Progressive.

And congrats!

Scott
« Last Edit: August 13, 2010, 11:35:32 pm by Ducati Scotty »


Maturin

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Reply #4 on: August 13, 2010, 11:49:15 pm
"Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black" - Thats dead right for motorcycles aswell. And it looks fast of course, from a snails perspective it almost looks like Saturn V and will pull away just as fast  ;D
Vibration will diminish somewhat with miles go by, in the case of my (ahem..black) vehicle it nearly dissappeared below 100 km/h. The more octane you pour in your tank the lesser vibes will stress you.
The sight glass allows rough estimates of the oil level at best, though at the expense of your intervertebral discs (ok I checked this term in the english dictionary ;)). The manual recomends to warm up "a couple of minutes", the german manual is absolutly clear about time and space (like a good german manual should be): 2 minutes, afterwards leave it another 2 minutes. Well, clear but bullshit  ::) you have to warm up much longer and then leave the bike about 5 minutes before you check the level. If you overfill it, the engine will spit out the superfluous oil into the air filter, making a half decent mess.
As my bike is a pretty G5 I´m afraid I can´t say anything about tool kit & front fender of the C5s.
The most prudent thing to do to preserve the bike´s worthiness is to care for it like any other bike, but a little more.
And if you hear about a muffler that gives a bit extra power and does not backfire, please tell me, I couldn´t decide myself yet  ;D
2010 G5
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TheFatMan

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Reply #5 on: August 14, 2010, 03:59:09 am
prof_stack
My new C5 is up to just under 300 miles right now.  I did the first oil change at 200 (manual says 300).  I talked to the service guys at CMW before I did and they strongly suggested switching to full synthetic at the first oil change.  I had been reading this forum for some time leading up to then, and got so many different viewpoints, I thought I'd go straight to the horse's mouth.  They told me the UCE motor does not require an extensive break in like tho older iron barrels and that full synthetic was the way to go. 

Tool box is a PIA.  It has two little metal prongs that plug into rubber grommets, one at the top and one center rear.  Pull straight out and it will come loose. I put a little dab of grease on the grommets when putting the cover back on and second removal was easier, but still sticky.

The other advice you've gotten is spot on, though I haven't found any loose fasteners yet, and mine is a military, so no wax... just a little WD40 on a rag for wipe down.  The chain has stretched a little, but the manual says 25 to 30mm deflection and it hasn't gotten to there yet.  Does 30mm seem like a lot of chain deflection to any body else?  I've not felt the need to remove the front fender yet and I am really starting to like the sound from the stock pipe.  I am leaving mine as is.  I am going to swap out the small headlamp fro a 7" H4 at some point in the near future, but I really don't ride much after dark, ever.  There are probably more deer in my county than there are people and I have had to repair a few cars after collisions with deer, so night time is the right time for me to drive my jeep ;-)

My insurance is through Progressive also and was about $200.

Good choice, your going to enjoy it.


Ducati Scotty

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Reply #6 on: August 14, 2010, 04:05:30 am
I talked to the service guys at CMW before I did and they strongly suggested switching to full synthetic at the first oil change. ...... They told me the UCE motor does not require an extensive break in like tho older iron barrels and that full synthetic was the way to go. 

With that in mind I might go full synth on the next change.  What weight oil did you use?

Scott


prof_stack

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Reply #7 on: August 14, 2010, 05:27:49 am
Thanks for all the input!  Much appreciated.

Insurance rates are a crap-shoot at best.  They very by state, couny, and even zip code.  Each state has their own list of providers. 

Okay, for my zip code in Seattle, with full coverage and higher limits on most things:

Approximately:
Dairyland:  $1,450   :o
Geico:  $350 
Progressive:  $290 :)

I'll do more searching and lock in the quote later next week.

My 2007 accident found me with no underinsured motorist coverage and that cost me a lot in the personal damage settlement.
A Royal Enfield owner's cup is always half full.


2bikebill

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Reply #8 on: August 14, 2010, 08:45:59 am
My manual recommends 15w-50 semi synth oil. So does the dealer. I'm switching to fully synth next oil change on the strength of what I've read on this forum. I have a couple of litres of the semi left so will add the fully synth to it (same brand &15-50) so it'll be "more synth" rather than "fully". The Silkolene Oil Clinic OK'd this.
I don't think you'll find an aftermarket pipe that doesn't backfire a bit, but you will get a noticeable performance boost if you ditch the stock monster in favour of something straight-through. Noisier though. My G5 with Goldie backfires a bit sometimes. It's random, and on some rides doesn't do it at all.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2010, 08:56:34 am by WillW »
2009 Royal Enfield Electra (G5)


Maturin

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Reply #9 on: August 14, 2010, 10:07:55 am
1400 $ insurance?  :o :o :o

When I read that I almost fall off my sofa - even with full coverage my insurance would cost 600 €, but only in case me beeing a novice. With partial coverage (only other´s damage excluding mine) and a lot of accident-free years my bill is 36 € / year  :D
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2bikebill

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Reply #10 on: August 14, 2010, 10:26:09 am
Insurance rates in UK vary wildly too - I think it's to do with the phases of the moon and the mood of whoever answers the phone    ;)
I paid £105 fully comp, with £200 excess. That's with not having ridden a motorbike for forty years! They did make allowance though for long time claim-free car driving.
But as I shopped around I was getting quotes two and three time higher!
Online quotes weren't generally cheaper, and tend to result in a deluge of unwanted emails and phonecalls. >:(
2009 Royal Enfield Electra (G5)


TheFatMan

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Reply #11 on: August 14, 2010, 01:30:31 pm
Scotty,
I used 15W50 motorcycle specific oil both on the recommendation of the book and the service guy on the phone.  I know there are tests showing that car oil and bike oil (if changed at appropriately short intervals) are equal.  I just buy into some of the hype in that an air cooled engine, the oil does a good bit of heat removal and is subject to breakdown more quickly.  If I change it twice a year and use "the good stuff"  it will cost me $40 a year for oil.  I'll let you know how it turns out in a couple of years   ;D   I may never ride this thing enough to know if it did any good, but whoever gets it next will thank me.

I should add that my only prior air cooled experience is with old flat 4 VW and Porsche motors and they are much like the older bullet motors in that they require higher zinc levels due to flat tappet lifters.  This new motor seems much more like the 600 cc single on my yamaha (gasp) ATV.  They both have bottom end torque like a tractor, the ATV has suffered much more abuse than the bike will though.  I use it to plow snow and drag a brush hog!
 


The yellow car is my 1964 Porsche 356 at Road America for vintage race weekend.  I've been an old car junky all of my life and the little 1.6 liter flat four motors in the old Porsches are where I learned to be a mechanic!

Cheers,


Ducati Scotty

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Reply #12 on: August 14, 2010, 02:49:43 pm
The first cars I really tore apart were air cooled VWs.  I owned 3 over the years so I have a soft spot in my heart for all things air cooled.  Working on my Ducati and my RE take me back.  Yes, air cooled motors get way hotter than anything with a radiator and full synth does stand up better than dino to that.  Also moto oils have more sulphur compounds which is great if you have your gears in the same oil as your engine.  Car oils used to have more of these but are now limited by law for emissions reasons.  So I'm a fan of full synth moto oil for air cooled bikes. 

I am going to go with 10w40 based on a few things I've read in this forum and elsewhere and the fact that 15w50 seems to have been chosen for the bike more because it is the most common grade in India than for any scientific reason.  Thin oils get to more parts better and faster, take less energy to pump, and so run a little cooler.   And full synth has the shear strength in the film that you used to only be able to get with heavier dino oils so still provide excellent protection.

All that said, I still think changing it often is more important than anything else you do no matter what grade/brand you use.

Scott


prof_stack

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Reply #13 on: August 14, 2010, 03:22:25 pm
I've always preferred air-cooled motorcycles.  I think putting a radiator on a bike is just wrong.

The Buell XB9S has a cooling fan that pulls air away from the rear cylinder.  It comes on when needed, usually at the end of a ride when the ignition is turned off.  When I switched to full synthetic oil that fan would run way less time than with dino oil.

My previous thumper, the Buell Blast, definitely ran cooler with synthetic oil.  Some days in 100+ temperatures proved that.  My body could have used something to run cooler.   ;)

So it looks like 10W-40 synthetic will be best for Seattle's climate.
A Royal Enfield owner's cup is always half full.


1 Thump

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Reply #14 on: August 14, 2010, 03:46:49 pm
Thanks for all the input!  Much appreciated.

Insurance rates are a crap-shoot at best.  They very by state, couny, and even zip code.  Each state has their own list of providers. 

Okay, for my zip code in Seattle, with full coverage and higher limits on most things:

Approximately:
Dairyland:  $1,450   :o
Geico:  $350 
Progressive:  $290 :)

I'll do more searching and lock in the quote later next week.

My 2007 accident found me with no underinsured motorist coverage and that cost me a lot in the personal damage settlement.

I got th ebest quote and coverage from State Farm, about 44/mo.