Got back from an amazing ride and an experince of a lifetime. Rode through thick jungle which included some of the densest Elephant, Bison, Cheetha and Tiger habitat. Lets keep that for another time though, this is an update to the Phoenix project.
Just before we rode off to Masinagudi, Ooty, Coonoor, decided to have the bike in as good a condition as possible which included nicknacks which although not crucial, were important me to me nonetheless. Got a new battery and now not only is the headlight a lorry killer, the horn is a traffic divider. ;)
As mentioned before, in the absence of a back rest, Muneer bhai had fixed a carrier which came in handy BIG TIME. I've spoken with the guy who sold me Burraqh for the backrest but he says he's just got the plates which is quite good actually, because I haven't been able to procure a backrest even from Gujri. The angle however is available. So a new angle and old plates along with new upholstry and chroming should work wonders.
I'm still riding around with the carrier and need to get it changed soonest. Its a green color and neither matches nor contrasts the silver and black body. The show value however would be greatly enhanced with the black and red paint. So the backrest can wait for now....
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Phoenix - The Lightning 535 restoration project Part 1
Bought for Rs. 41000 on the 10th of January 2009 after a loooooooooong wait and a short search, this is what I brought home:
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(Pardon the background, these pics were taken outside the mechanic's shop.)
The speedometer cable had come out and was attached by a piece of wire, the front brake was non existent, the seats had holes in them, the handle grips, though original and looking good, were lumpy and uncomfortable, the rear tire was bald, the silencer was broken and the back-rest was missing. The biggest eyesore were the red skulls in the place of the beautiful gold Royal Enfield emblems. Add to all that, there were 5 different keys for 6 locks - each one in worse shape than the other.
All the above notwithstanding, to me, she was the most beautiful bike I laid eyes on!
Yeah, I believe in love at first sight! (For the second time in my life... ;)
And so does Mueen but he'll tell you about that in another post.
Left in the capable hands of Muneer Bhai of Muneer Bullet Garage, it's shaping up beautifully.
The old broken silencer has been replaced by a Goldstar style silencer. (Goldie according to Muneer Bhai). The plan was to get the bike in a condition good enough to ride to Ooty and back. And once we were back, work would start in earnest.
Muneer bhai on the other hand (Bless his heart) had a different idea about 'tightning nuts and bolts'. Burraaqh was almost completely stripped and rebuilt. I was to leave Burraaqh with Muneer bhai on Thursday morning and collect it back the same evening. Its Tuesday night as I type this and Burraqqh is still with Muneer bhai. I daresay, when we get back, all that remains to be done is plating of the engine and painting of the tank and sheilds.
As of now, apart from the brand new 'Goldie', the handle grips have been changed. I appreciate Muneer bhai taking initiative but had I know he was changing the grips, I would have got original ones with the two chrome bands. The back tire and tube have been replaced with stock heavy duty tire - MRF Nylogrip Plus 3.5x19. The speedometer is upto speed with the entire assembly having been taken apart, cleaned thorroughly and put back together. We're planning to ride it with a carrier and get the backrest fixed after we return from Ooty.
I take delivery of Burraaqh tomorrow and hope to ride it for a couple of days before we hit the highway. I'm pretty kicked about the keys. I got a set of 6 locks for Burraqqh all with one key. Was available off the shelf with Sandhya Auto Spares - supposedly the best stockists of Bullet parts. I'll update the costs incurred at the end of the project.
Keep watching this space for further updates...
.JPG)
(Pardon the background, these pics were taken outside the mechanic's shop.)
The speedometer cable had come out and was attached by a piece of wire, the front brake was non existent, the seats had holes in them, the handle grips, though original and looking good, were lumpy and uncomfortable, the rear tire was bald, the silencer was broken and the back-rest was missing. The biggest eyesore were the red skulls in the place of the beautiful gold Royal Enfield emblems. Add to all that, there were 5 different keys for 6 locks - each one in worse shape than the other.
All the above notwithstanding, to me, she was the most beautiful bike I laid eyes on!
Yeah, I believe in love at first sight! (For the second time in my life... ;)
And so does Mueen but he'll tell you about that in another post.
Left in the capable hands of Muneer Bhai of Muneer Bullet Garage, it's shaping up beautifully.
The old broken silencer has been replaced by a Goldstar style silencer. (Goldie according to Muneer Bhai). The plan was to get the bike in a condition good enough to ride to Ooty and back. And once we were back, work would start in earnest.
Muneer bhai on the other hand (Bless his heart) had a different idea about 'tightning nuts and bolts'. Burraaqh was almost completely stripped and rebuilt. I was to leave Burraaqh with Muneer bhai on Thursday morning and collect it back the same evening. Its Tuesday night as I type this and Burraqqh is still with Muneer bhai. I daresay, when we get back, all that remains to be done is plating of the engine and painting of the tank and sheilds.
As of now, apart from the brand new 'Goldie', the handle grips have been changed. I appreciate Muneer bhai taking initiative but had I know he was changing the grips, I would have got original ones with the two chrome bands. The back tire and tube have been replaced with stock heavy duty tire - MRF Nylogrip Plus 3.5x19. The speedometer is upto speed with the entire assembly having been taken apart, cleaned thorroughly and put back together. We're planning to ride it with a carrier and get the backrest fixed after we return from Ooty.
I take delivery of Burraaqh tomorrow and hope to ride it for a couple of days before we hit the highway. I'm pretty kicked about the keys. I got a set of 6 locks for Burraqqh all with one key. Was available off the shelf with Sandhya Auto Spares - supposedly the best stockists of Bullet parts. I'll update the costs incurred at the end of the project.
Keep watching this space for further updates...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
How the first Trip was planned
I took the responsibility of taking care of Buraq on the 10th of Jan 2009. It was late and I was thrilled. Mueen and Abrar very kindly agreed to come along to finalize the deal. I guess my enthusiasm was infectious, I could feel Mueen and Abrar were longing to get their steeds too.
A deal was struck for Rs. 41000 and I rode home on air. Its a crazy one, that Lightning 535. If I had felt that the Thunderbird was a raging stomping bull (without all the noise), the Lightning 535 was positively an angry Rhino.
Boy, what a thrill to be astride one!
So the next morning, I land at Muneer Auto Garage along with Mueen to get the bike 'In showroom condition'. Thats how Mueen put it. He wanted to get the engine opened and overalled, chrome plated, the tank and the side shields repainted, the silencer replaced (ok, that did need replacing!). The point is, I wanted to restore the bike too, but... Did I mention my enthusiasm was infectious? lol.
Anyways, thats where I saw the poster - Rider Mania 2009, Ooty. Organized by RTMC. Thats Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club.
More to follow....
A deal was struck for Rs. 41000 and I rode home on air. Its a crazy one, that Lightning 535. If I had felt that the Thunderbird was a raging stomping bull (without all the noise), the Lightning 535 was positively an angry Rhino.
Boy, what a thrill to be astride one!
So the next morning, I land at Muneer Auto Garage along with Mueen to get the bike 'In showroom condition'. Thats how Mueen put it. He wanted to get the engine opened and overalled, chrome plated, the tank and the side shields repainted, the silencer replaced (ok, that did need replacing!). The point is, I wanted to restore the bike too, but... Did I mention my enthusiasm was infectious? lol.
Anyways, thats where I saw the poster - Rider Mania 2009, Ooty. Organized by RTMC. Thats Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club.
More to follow....
The Steeds
I've got photos of Buraq (Royal Enfield Lightning 535) and the red and silver Bullet Electra 350 (unnamed as yet). Haven't got pics of the Bullet 500 Standard (also unnamed at this moment) yet. So once I have all the pics together, I'll upload them.
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