Convenient forgetfulness saw the Electra being confined
to the parking lot for nearly a month. But a new tester
and some attention has it exploding to life.
 PRICE Rs 75,040 (No electric start)
TEST ECONOMY 35kpl
EXPENSES Rs 11,142
FAULTS Misfiring engine, discharged battery,
leaking fuel tap
OUR
LONG-TERM Bullet Electra has changed hands. Obviously, it
was not something its previous tester liked, but he was
well cornered. Especially, after it dawned on the guys
that he’d ‘accidentally’ carried the keys
with him on a month-long vacation.
Well, if you own a Bullet you will know that lying unused
is not something this bike likes doing. So, when D-day finally
arrived, the Bullet, after a month of gathering dust, was
in no mood to oblige, even after we burnt a lot many calories
in an attempt to start it up.
| BAD |
 |
ENGINE
MISFIRE
Cold starts mean lots of calories burnt. Electra ocassionally
goes on the blink in heavy traffic. |
Twenty
minutes later, we realised that the battery had discharged
and needed to be brought back to life. In came a nearby
mechanic who juiced up the battery and she was back to normal.
Normal as in exploding to life after about 50 kicks.
But obviously, after having not done much for too long,
she wasn’t in any mood to get back in action.
Cold starts were fading memories and she idled at traffic
signals in a whimsical manner. We figured the carburettor
was clogged or maybe, the air filter needed attention. Additionally,
the misfiring reared its indecisive head when the bike was
ridden at moderate speed.
So, we turned it in to our trusted mech and half a day’s
work later, the Bullet was once again running like new.
Things replaced included the long dead horn (we got dual
horns on), a fused headlight bulb, and the speedometer unit
that went kaput during the bike’s Himalayan escapade.
Right now, the bike is a delight apart from regular flaws
that include oil-leaks, a foot-mashing gearshift, and its
famous knee-bending kick. Its current tester, a more careful
rider, has seen fuel economy rise slightly to around 32
kpl and the bike performed admirably well during a couple
of long highway stints.
The only thing that remains ambiguous is who’ll be
in charge of the next long-term report. For everytime there
is talk of the Bullet in the office, I can see Ouseph glance
covetously at the parking lot. |
February 2006