Author Topic: my new bike  (Read 5748 times)

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greggers

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on: October 31, 2010, 03:21:22 am
Hello all, I'm a new Enfield owner, and a new rider as well. I got my license last Feb, started looking for bikes, and when I found Royal Enfield I knew my search was over. Even better, for the first time, they were going to be street legal (new) in California. I found the closest dealer and put down a deposit in late May, being told they would be arriving in a week or two. I guess that wasn't quite accurate...

Finally today I picked up my bike (they just arrived in CA this month), having not ridden at all since doing my MSF course in Feb, and beyond that my riding experience amounted to a few trips on small bikes in various parts of Asia a few years ago (which shifted without a clutch). Needless to say, I'm pretty green. And unfortunately, the only route back to my house is a high traffic 4 lane road, for about 25 miles. I was already nervous about the ride home (probably psyched myself out a bit), and unfortunately I didn't make it without incident. About 5 miles in, trying to get my first real hill start, I popped the clutch out too fast and the bike came out from under me and went down on the right side.

I'm fine, of course my pride suffered the worst, but mistakes are how you learn right? Fortunately I had my friend who'd given me a ride to the dealer driving behind me, and he directed traffic while I got the bike up and to the side of the road. After stopping for about 10 minutes so the shakes would wear off, I got back on, and got home without another problem. Even took it out again a few hours later for a short 10 mile ride just to get back in the saddle, so to speak.

The bike took some damage though (not even 50 miles in  :-\). Some of it I'm willing to live with (look at it for a reminder to control that clutch more!), but I thought I'd post it here to hear thoughts and if there is anything beyond what I've noticed that I should consider:

1) Handlebars are out of alignment, the right side comes back towards me more than the left. Not sure if they are bent or just misaligned, it looks like there is a pressure plate that holds them to the front forks and the bar is definitely off-center to the right now. Could be both, thinking of trying to loosen the pressure plate and see if I can realign them. Looks like there are 2 bolts on top and two below, thinking I just need to loosen them a bit, try moving the bar back, and tighten it back down?

If that doesn't work I guess I gotta take it back to the dealer and get the bar replaced, which I gather is a cheap part and expensive labor...that aside, would there be any problem with me riding with the bars out of whack for a while before taking it in? I kind of want to get more comfortable on the bike before making that ride again.

2) Right foot peg is bent back quite a bit. Honestly this is mostly cosmetic I feel, I can ride fine with it where it is, but it definitely looks jacked. Looks like its just connected by a single bolt, could I just pull it off and either a) try and bend it back somehow or b) easily replace it myself?

3) Front headlight housing has a large dent on it. The light still works fine and doesn't look to be damaged, thinking the housing is probably an easy part to replace?

4) Gas tank has a small dent and also a separate chip in the paint. Unless there's a reason to fix this I'll probably just leave it, maybe put some touchup paint on the chip to avoid rust.

5) Front fender has some scuffing, probably just gonna leave it for now

6) There is a slight scuff on the right front fork. The bike seems to ride fine and straight at low and high speeds, so guessing this is probably just cosmetic?

Nothing seems to be leaking and the bike rides the same as when I took it off the lot, that is good news at least.

So quite an eventful first ride! But I still look forward to riding more. I think getting the handlebars straight again, getting the foot peg back straight, and replacing the headlight housing (that dent is pretty glaring and embarrassing) are my only priorities right now, the rest I'll chalk up to learning and character that makes the bike mine. Just glad my first spill wasn't that bad honestly.

If I should be checking anything else please let me know, hoping to have this all sorted fairly soon so I can enjoy riding without worry!
And if you made it this far, thanks for reading!
Greg


single

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Reply #1 on: October 31, 2010, 03:41:00 am
That's a shame,greggers.Hope it is not too costly.


singhg5

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Reply #2 on: October 31, 2010, 03:55:26 am
@Greg:

Welcome to the forum of RE.  It is a always a good idea if a dealer delivers the bike to the buyers home because you never know how the bike will handle on the first ride.  Fortunately you are OK and your bike is still running.

In my opinion, have the dealer pick up your bike on a truck and have it thoroughly checked for any structural damage - even though it looks ok on the surface.  Let him have a look at the forks / handle bar and have him repair them.  Once fixed, stay on the local secondary roads and ride at slow to moderate speeds to gradually break in the engine. 

Best wishes for getting your bike fixed and then enjoying the thumper.
1970's Jawa /  Yezdi
2006 Honda Nighthawk
2009 Royal Enfield Black G5


Kevin Mahoney

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Reply #3 on: October 31, 2010, 04:31:55 am
I agree with Mr. Singh let someone who knows what they are doing look at it. You may not need to fix anything, but better safe than sorry. None of this is expensive so you will be OK.

You have just learned a lesson about a high torque engine and a great clutch. Trust me you will never make that mistake again. Fortunately your pride was the only thing injured. Done it myself many times.(As has everyone else on this forum.).

You have purchased a very docile easy to handle bike, you just let it get our of the corral a bit too quickly. Since you are a new rider there is no substitute for riding and more riding. Take it easy, wear good safety equipment and enjoy the experience. You will soon gain a lot of confidence. 
Best Regards,
Kevin Mahoney
www.cyclesidecar.com


The Garbone

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Reply #4 on: October 31, 2010, 04:37:20 am
Welcome to the addiction...

Everyone goes down,  you just got yours out of the way early.. An RE was my first bike also, but I dropped a Kawasaki...  

You are right on about the bars and how to adjust em..  

Sounds like you have an excuse to buy a 7" headlamp.. They look better anyhow..

Be safe and take it easy, before you know it you will be an old hand with 20k miles under your belt..
Gary
57' RE Crusader 250
67' Ford Mustang
74' Catalina 27 "Knot a Clew"
95 RE Ace Clubman 535
01 HD 1200 Custom
07 RE 5spd HaCK

* all actions described in this post are fictional *


BRADEY

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Reply #5 on: October 31, 2010, 07:49:21 am
greggers I slipped my first RE due to a very reckless driver in front of me. RE parts are dirt cheap compared to other brands. I changed practically everything that had suffered damage with new ones. Some parts (like your foot rest) are correctable (by heating and repainting) while other would need to be changed.

From your description I am pretty sure that the bike has not suffered any structural damage, but let the dealer decide about it. Change the accidented parts and you will soon forget the incident. Cheers Mate........!!


Ice

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Reply #6 on: October 31, 2010, 11:40:35 am
Welcome aboard greggers,

Glad you're o.k. and congrats on your new Bullet.

Sounds like minor cosmetic damage but do get it checked anyway.

No matter where you go, there, you are.


Maturin

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Reply #7 on: October 31, 2010, 12:31:28 pm
Hi Greggers!
Congrats to your new bike! It´s pretty sure you won´t regret your decision for RE, imagine your ride home with a 230-kg-Honda - much more nightmare  ;D.
The Bullet is a great bike for newbies due to her marvellous handling characteristics and her transparent power production. Another important detail: parts are cheap, so you can throw it away once in a while without getting broke. Take care of your bones though, these titanium rods they hammer into them actually do cost a fortune! Ask me how I know  ;)
If you can hold a screwdriver without hurting yourself I guess you could take care of the damage on your bike yourself. The most important part: throw away twisted handlebars and replace them, the new part costs about 25 $. I strongly recommend NOT to drive with a bent one. You´ll be surprised what this does to your sense of how the bike moves under you. To remove the rubbers inject some gasoline between them and the handlebar.
It´s probably possible to polish away the scratches in the fork tube and the fender with a chrome polish paste.
I´m afraid you´ll have to live with the dent in your tank. Although it´s possible to repair this kind of damage it´s probably too costly to make sense. So take care of the paint and show off your battlescar ;D
The removal of the casquette is not too easy, I´d hesitate to do it without a repair manual. Dealer´s work on your first maintenance appointment.
To be sure your fork didn´t take a hit you should check the wheel´s alignment by kneeling behind the bike. A wooden bar - or the high-tech-version of it: laser pointer - are helpfull. I have to say however that it´s nearly impossible to bent a fork by letting the bike topple over.
Grüsse aus Bayern und fahre vorsichtig!
Maturin
2010 G5
A Garage without a Bullet is a empty, barren hole.

When acellerating the tears of emotion must flow off horizontally to the ears.
Walter Röhrl


r80rt

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Reply #8 on: October 31, 2010, 01:05:04 pm
Welcome!
On the eighth day God created the C5, and it was better looking than anything on the planet.
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gashousegorilla

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Reply #9 on: October 31, 2010, 02:42:05 pm
 Welcome greggers, get your new bike fixed, put it behind you and enjoy. We've all probably dropped a bike at one time, you just got yours over with early. Chalk it up as experience.Have fun .
An thaibhsí atá rattling ag an doras agus tá sé an diabhal sa chathaoir.


shappers

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Reply #10 on: October 31, 2010, 05:14:35 pm
Hi greg, welcome aboard. We've all thrown one at the scenery at some time.  Glad to see you got right back on, you'll love it.

Cheers, Shappers.


2bikebill

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Reply #11 on: October 31, 2010, 07:30:37 pm
Welcome Greg. Rotten luck on the drop, but plenty of good advice and reassurances above. I dropped my nearly new G5 too, not quite as radically as you - I'd stopped on a gravelly slope and my boot slipped out from under me - a classic move I'm told.....
Dented the headlight rim, which I've changed, and put a tiny dint in the gorgeous chrome tank - the brake fluid resevoir lines up up just right for this if you drop it on the RH side!  Ah well, it's a battle scar, and keeps me alert for gravelly patches....
Get it fixed up and enjoy the hell out of it....   ;)
2009 Royal Enfield Electra (G5)


greggers

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Reply #12 on: October 31, 2010, 07:47:25 pm
Thanks everyone for the encouraging words and advice. I think you're all right, gonna have to take the bike in.  :( The handlebars are definitely bent, I tried adjusting them and got them back to center but still the right one comes down and in more than the left. Also I noticed that there is actually a small dent in the front right fork tube, guessing that's probably unsafe and will need to be swapped too...any idea how much I should expect to pay for towing for about 25 miles? I found some local tow companies online that specialize in motorcycles, gonna call around tomorrow for some quotes, but just tryin to get an idea.


Maturin

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Reply #13 on: October 31, 2010, 08:58:51 pm
If you are not sure about the fork that´s the best option. To transport bikes I use to lend a trailer, my father´s car has a coupling device. That´s the cheapest option, you can do it for less than 30 € for half a day, that´ll be not differnet in the States. All you need is a trailer with a ramp and a friend´s helping hand - and a car with a hitch. Other option: renting a little truck with an hydraulic lifting ramp. In this case you can do it all alone - dont forget to lash the bike amply. These trucks cost about 100 € per day in my country.
I personally wouldn´t let somebody else transport my bike. If there´s any trouble with damage it´s hard to make a case and proove it. But maybe I´m a little paranoid here.
2010 G5
A Garage without a Bullet is a empty, barren hole.

When acellerating the tears of emotion must flow off horizontally to the ears.
Walter Röhrl


The Garbone

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Reply #14 on: October 31, 2010, 10:10:48 pm
If you know someone with a hitch you can rent a Uhaul trailer for a day pretty cheap.. $20 or less...  Locally its $15 for a open utility and $45 for a motorcycle trailer.. I would get the utility and tell em your moving a couch.. Tie it down good.
Gary
57' RE Crusader 250
67' Ford Mustang
74' Catalina 27 "Knot a Clew"
95 RE Ace Clubman 535
01 HD 1200 Custom
07 RE 5spd HaCK

* all actions described in this post are fictional *