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@@BlakesPipes 😂😂😂👍 Good man ! 🙂

Hi James, sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. As you know, my videos have always been unfiltered. You've seen how RE ownership can work out for many of us. I've never kept quiet about any of my bikes' flaws but those that I have had, have all been relatively minor. Based on what I know, from myself and others your experience is most unusual ! Plenty of folks on here have done big miles on their 350s with zero issues. But I think every brand has the odd tale like yours. The typical Friday afternoon / Monday morning bike !!!! I have friends here with various modern REs too and none of them have anything but good things to say about their bikes and how they are holding up. Based on a large number of people's experiences I can't conclude that buying an RE is any more risky than buying anything else. But of course, your experience is bound to colour your view of the situation. I totally understand why you feel as you do and the Honda is certainly a good choice. Your experience with your Meteor sounds almost as bad as my experience with a brand new Bullet 500 back in 2004 !!! People thought that I was mad to return to the brand in 2021 but the three REs that I have had since the Bullet have all been pretty damn near flawless. I think you just got extremely unlucky, as I did with my Bullet all those years ago. Apparently they are "simple bikes with next to nothing to go wrong". Tell that to the recovery driver with whom I was soon exchanging Christmas cards and attending the Christening of his offspring! 😂 Enjoy your Honda James. Sorry that your Meteor didn't work out for you as it should have ! Cheers 🙂 Garry

@economicalrides As I said, Gary its likely just very unlucky on my part, I too have heard very good things about Royal Enfield from the owners themselves but only online. In my circle of mates, we seem to have an innate ability to find the dodgy ones out the lot. We all have Honda's now of varying types and styles. I'd still be careful with RE as a whole, but I couldn't agree more with the points you've raised, Gary. The exception isn't the rule, as they say ! Take care, and thanks for the advice, I must be honest I test drove the shotgun 650 last week, and that's a beast. Think if I was to return to RE, it would be on one of the larger capacity machines, which seems a bit more sturdy, in my opinion.

@@jamesnoonan7450 Lucky boy ! I'd give my right arm for a go on a Shotgun. It's a bike that really appeals to me. Did it feel kind of like a "big Meteor" ? To me it looks like it should. The Super Meteor didn't do it for me because it felt nothing like the 350 Meteor at all. The Shotgun always gave me big Meteor 350 vibes. As you've tried both, do you see similarities or did they feel totally distinct ? You and your mates definitely do seem to have a talent for finding dodgy REs 😂. Not casting aspersions James but knowing that the bikes arrive from India only semi-assembled, any chance that the dealer is the problem, not prepping the bikes to the required standard ? Just an idea because it seems odd to discover such a dense collection of dodgy Royal Enfields amongst friends and associates as you are describing 🤷‍♂

@economicalrides I wouldn't say the shotgun 650 and the metoer 350 handle or ride that similar. The shotgun rides very much like a bobber. It's a far more sat back riding position (a bit like riding a harley if you've ever had a go on one of those). You're much more upright on the meteor 350. The shotgun 650 is far more comfy, and if you like the more laid-back riding style, I'd say its for you. In awnser to your question, it's certainly not a carbon copy of the meteor 350. The power and riding position make the shotgun 650 an entirely different machine to ride. It's a bit of a monster, if I'm honest ! With regards to the dealer, I believe you might be right, on speaker to the sales guy who sold me the meteor he said they'd been having issues with there mechanic / assembly guy and he'd just left on bad terms. Sounds like he might have been cutting corners some what. Either way, it's a great dealer and not had any issues since.

@@jamesnoonan7450 Thanks for that James. Hopefully I will manage to get a go on one myself some time. I am also hoping to find a dealer with a Guerilla 450 demonstrator because that looks like it would be a lot of fun to hustle on our mountain roads around here. By the sound of it, the Shotgun would cover the riding that I enjoy doing on Buddy, the more gentle, relaxing stuff. So still very much on my radar ! Based on what you said about your dealer having mechanic problems around that time, I suspect that that is a large part of it. A good mechanic is really necessary before your customers can have a chance of having a positive buying experience. I'm very happy with my RE dealer's workshop and the quality of their work and that is one of the biggest reasons why I will probably continue to stick with RE as a brand. A dealer needs to have a good workshop. A bad workshop can result in a terrible ownership experience of any brand. At least by the sound of it, the experience hasn't put you off RE permanently, which is great to hear. Like you said, you were probably just very unfortunate with that particular bike and mechanic. Maybe like me, after a spell away from the brand, they might bring out the bike to tempt you back to them, just like the Meteor did to me back in 2020/2021 🙂 In the meantime I am sure that you will enjoy your Honda ! Thanks for your test ride report James, very interesting and makes me want to try the Shotgun even more 👍🏻 All the best, Garry & Ruby

Congratulations BD ! Nothing wrong with the 650 if you need the extra grunt. Fortunately I currently don't need it but if you want to go two up touring, then I'm sure that the 650 will be way better 🙂 Thanks for letting me know and glad to hear that you are enjoying the 650 too BD 👍🏻 Take care and happy touring with the missus 🙂 Garry & Ruby

@@economicalrides i'm going to miss 'Wednesday' as we called the 360 stellar black meteor, but the 650 has grown on me so much already. just that extra bit of oomph. I'm a fairly large guy and with a pillion i just need that extra bit of power to do long trips. Just went for a ride on my own from the north of belgium into holland the day before yesterday and omg it was heaven. Raods and no traffic. pure heaven.

@@BelgianDoomer Very happy for you BD. You are one of the founder members of this channel and as time passes, our needs and possibilities change. I'm glad to hear that you have found the right bike for you at this moment in time. You can still keep the fond memories of the Meteor in your mind and could always go back to one, should your needs or circumstances ever change again in the future 👍🏻 That's how I feel about my Classic 350. I needed to sell it to get the Himalayan, even though it had been a lovely bike. I know that I can always get another Classic further down the line, should I suddenly feel the need to own one again. It's always important to have the bike(s) that you feel you need right now. Take care and good luck with the new bike mate. Happy touring too 👍🏻 Garry

Yes. Very good batteries. Standard equipment on most of the Japanese brands I believe, probably for a good reason ! Living where I do, I am just glad that I was able to source a battery the same day, whatever the brand, and just get the problem solved, only ruining one day rather than ruining multiple days ! EXIDE probably not as good as YUASA but probably a bit cheaper and also better than the batteries RE fits from the factory. It'll do for now and I think that I will preemptively buy another one for the Himalayan and swap that battery before it has a chance to die on me🙂 Cheers YTR, Garry

Hi Mark. Well I certainly had no warning. The Optimate that morning said that battery status was good. I think it probably was, right up until I stopped the engine to fill Buddy up. As soon as the charge stopped going through the battery, probably something inside just disintegrated. It was dead as a doornail from then on. The fuel pump wasn't firing up, so no point in trying to bump start it. Fortunately it was ONLY the battery and nothing more complicated. Went for a four hour ride yesterday and all is fine, ECU light remains out and Buddy is purring again. I will probably now go out and buy an EXIDE battery for Norman, even though he is only one year old, I'd rather have a decent battery on him now. Definitely consider replacing yours BEFORE it dies Mark ! Cheers Mark, Garry & Ruby ❤🐕

@@economicalrides gee, as quick as that. Not good. The only problem I had was with the clip for fuel pipe. Was heading the Hour 20 to the garage I use, to get the throttle body fitted, was only 10 miles south, when all of a sudden had fuel spraying everywhere. Thankfully I had a side road to my right, and managed to free wheel it in off the road. When I pure on ignition it started spraying again. Thankfully the garage came to my rescue and picked me and Bumble up, and delivered the bike back to me at end of day. The clip had lost its clip factor. Just glad you was cable able to fit a new better quality battery, this should last longer term too.

@@weemark67 Yep. With servicing, doing the valves etc. these fuel lines tend to get unclipped and clipped a fair bit ( every time the tank has to come off ) and I guess these clips are not infinitely durable. I always worry about them breaking whenever I have to disconnect them. Glad you managed to get it sorted but I imagine you weren't happy to see Bumble taking a petrol shower. You were probably also a bit nervous any time a smoker walked by !!! 😂 Thanks Mark. Let's hope that the EXIDE battery does a bit better than the OEM one and do consider swapping yours before it gets a chance to die on you🤞 It's always bound to happen at the most inconvenient of times ! Take care mate, Garry & Ruby ❤🐕

Hi Plough, three years and 11,000 km for me mate. Three years is okay but not great considering that the battery was always connected to a maintenance charger all of its life. That usually makes them last 5-10 years in my experience. Still, we should have a better quality battery on there now and it should hopefully last 5 years at least 🤞 You've done well with wear and tear. I am hearing similar things from others. If things are lasting that long, then the Meteor really is a very economical ride, even in the longer term ! Just keep an eye on chain cleaning and chain tension, if you want to eke out a little bit more before your next chain and sprocket change 😉 Thanks Plough 👍🏻 Garry

Nope. The last RE to come with a kick starter was the Classic 500. Since they started fitting fuel injection to these bikes, a kick starter wouldn't help in this situation anyway. The battery was not strong enough to fire up the relays to start the fuel pump, so kicking or bump starting this bike simply wouldn't have worked because it was receiving no fuel. If you don't hear the fuel pump priming when you turn on the ignition, you're going nowhere, kick starter or not 🙂

@economicalrides ,ok. So no kick start in this case.

@@zdendaderman5253 Correct. With the shift to EFI engines I think kick starters will more or less die out now. Off-road competition bikes seem to be the last bastion of kick-starters at the moment. Very rare for a road bike to have one these days unfortunately.

😂😂😂 You'd have to be a total nutter to do that Peter ! Not sure I know of anybody that committed 🤔 😝

Hi Clive, to be fair, I don't think RE do warranty on the battery anyway. I imagine that most manufacturers don't. But Buddy has ALWAYS been on a maintenance charger and that way just about ANY battery tends to last somewhere between 5 and 10 years. Three years for a battery that has been so well looked after is a pretty poor performance IMO. I will probably now preemptively change the battery on Norman. Just for added peace of mind, next time I am halfway up some mountain with no phone signal ! Cheers Clive. I'm sure you're still loving the Indian. Lucky boy ! Hugs to Budders, hi to Mrs ABD 👋 Garry & Ruby

@@economicalrides Mrs ABD says hi 😊, I just had to change my battery in the ranger after 3 years too Love Indian

@@aussiebikerdude6563 🙂👍🏻

Hi Colin, I'd say that I had no prior warning with Buddy's battery. Everything was normal. That morning the Optimate charger was showing the battery as normal. It was all good. But for whatever reason, as soon as I stopped the engine to fill up and charge stopped going through the battery cells, something seems to have broken down inside the battery. It just seemed to be the switching off of the engine that killed it stone dead. Unfortunate but these things can happen. Three years is not very long for a battery that is so well looked after. I've had batteries that have lasted 11 years on maintenance chargers and certainly on average you can expect them to last anywhere between five and ten years. Replacing the OEM battery on a Royal Enfield seems like a worthwhile upgrade to me. I will probably voluntarily replace Norman's battery now, even though he is barely one year old. I've heard plenty of people complaining about the OEM batteries and having something a bit more premium on there would give me a bit more peace of mind, next time I ride up a mountain trail where there is no phone signal ! Having the battery spontaneously die up there could make for a really annoying day ! Thanks Colin. Take care and happy riding. Garry

Great, thanks for that 👍🏻 Actually, I was at that exact point where I was going to give up, go away and come back with some kind of trick to get the bolt on. I was thinking of using Blu Tac or something like that to just hold it more or less in place, or like you say, stuffing something in behind it to stop it from moving. Just as I was about to give up and formulate a new plan, suddenly I managed to get the bolt to take the thread and we were away. I used a very thin watchmaker's screwdriver to push the nut forward and slightly upwards too. It needed lifting ever so slightly in order to line up with the bolt. It was a right pain in the ass though, that's for sure. And the shade was gone, it was getting hotter and hotter by the minute, so I was rushing to try and get the job finished before it got too hot ! We got there in the end though 😇 Thanks for the tip. Next time I'll do that straight away, that should save me some time 👍🏻 Cheers buddy, Garry

Hi, yes I do. All bikes are on tenders and Buddy has spent those three years attached to an Optimate Optimiser 4. That's why I think three years is a poor performance from the OEM battery. Just about any battery seems to last 5-10 years on a tender. The really small cheap one on my scooter managed eleven years ! The fact that the OEM battery only lasted three years, despite being taken such good care of, does suggest that they are probably not of the best quality, but I knew that already, so wasn't too surprised when it died 🙂 Battery tenders are brilliant and are saving me a fortune on batteries but the battery still needs to be built to last, which these RE ones appear not to be. EXIDE is a known brand and the new battery should hopefully last 5 years and longer, just like all of the others 🤞 Fully expecting Norman's RE battery not to last beyond three years now ! Cheers 👍🏻 Best wishes to you in Canada. Garry

Hi Mike. Yes, definitely do that. Some OEM batteries have only lasted a year. I am now thinking of getting a new battery for Norman asap. If the same thing happens up a mountain trail with no phone signal, it is going to be a very annoying day indeed ( and complicated ! ). Having a decent brand battery on there will give me some added peace of mind I reckon. So yes, definitely thinking about replacing Norman's battery preemptively now, although my inherent tightness is screaming at me to keep using the original battery until it finally dies 😂 No, I shouldn't do that. I shouldn't do that. I most definitely shouldn't do that. Now sit back and watch me do EXACTLY that ! 😝 Thanks Mike. Take care. Great to see the Bonnie is up and running again btw. ! Garry & Ruby

Hi Guy, forgot to mention that Buddy has ALWAYS been on an Optimate maintenance charger and when I left that morning, the battery status was normal. So the battery dying almost certainly happened the moment I switched off the engine to fill up. So it can happen at any time and without warning. I think that I will probably now buy a decent battery for the Himalayan, even though Norman is only one year old. I'd feel more confident with a better known brand battery on there ! Ruby is excellent. She loves "helping" whenever I am out in the garden 😂 Thanks Guy, take care ! Garry & Ruby ❤🐕

@@economicalridesI own already an Optimate but I've received (& had to pay !) another charger with my brand new Meteor, (which is not a sign of confidence, "isn't it" ?) But they have forgotten the connectors ! My cat Naloup is Chief Inspector Achieved Works.

@@guydeherdt9917 Well good luck with the Meteor. To be honest, a maintenance charger is almost compulsory for each bike you own, unless you intend to use it daily. Motorcycle batteries really don't last very long at all if they are not kept on charge. Too much electronics draining them these days, even when the bike is switched off. I would always want one charger for each bike, personally 👍🏻 Your cat sounds like Ruby. In one video she came over to read the instructions which were lying on the floor, just to make sure that I was fitting the thing correctly 😂 Cheers you two and good luck with the Meteor. Still loving mine after 11000 km and three years 🥰

Hi Phil. Good to hear that you are happy with EXIDE so far. I've never had one of their batteries before but they appear to be the main motorcycle battery brand that this local shop stocks. Yes, three years for a battery that has ALWAYS been on an Optimate was not great. Usually batteries last 5-10 years when on a maintenance charger. I think buying a DECENT battery is probably a very worthwhile upgrade for any RE, particularly if you buy one second hand and don't know how the battery has been treated until now. I will probably preemptively replace the battery on the Himalayan, even though it is only just over one year old. Better to have a battery you can trust than one which can leave you stranded at any time. Worth 40 EUR for the peace of mind I reckon. Fingers crossed that the EXIDES manage 5+ years. If they manage that, they are decent value. Glad to hear that your Meteor experience has been so positive Phil. Same here, three years, 11.000km and zero issues. Just now getting to the stage where things like batteries, tyres, chains etc. will occasionally need replacing. Other than that, for the money, a cracking looking and very easy to live with motorcycle. What's not to love ? Buddy will probably be with me until I am no longer able to ride. Can't think of anything else that would even come close as an economical, easy to deal with motorcycle that also puts a smile on your face every time you take it for a ride ! Cheers Phil and thanks for watching ! Garry & Ruby

Hi Andy, sorry to hear that but like me, it sounds like you got it sorted. Three years was pretty poor considering that Buddy has been on an Optimate charger since day one. Usually you can expect a battery to last 5-10 years if you keep it topped up. At least we now know that we have a decent quality battery on our bikes and hopefully we now have at least 5 years of happy riding ahead of us. Norman is over one year old now, so I suppose in the next year or two I will be buying a battery for him ( which if I recall correctly is easier to get to because it is under the seat somewhere 🤞). All part of the joys of motorcycle ownership I suppose. We really should appreciate our bikes when they are running well and not causing us any headaches 🙂 Cheers Andy, Garry & Ruby

Hi there. Thanks. Yes, I often get accused of having "another new bike" and have to convince people that it's still the same one that I always had 😂 It definitely helps if you don't have to ride in bad weather but to be fair, I took Buddy off-road and he got absolutely filthy but he still came up like new again. The black finish on the engine and exhaust seems to hold up well and is easy to clean. Buddy has just passed 11.000 km in three years and will need a new rear tyre fairly soon. 45.000 km is impressive and it's great to hear of a J Series engine with so much mileage on it. It seems as though these bikes have no major issues to be concerned about. That's good news because I hope to keep Buddy forever ! I knew that RE batteries have a bit of a bad reputation but since my bikes are always on battery maintenance chargers, all batteries seem to last between 5 and 10 years. But not this RE one. Three years and it was game over. That suggests that they are not great quality. Hopefully the new battery will last over 5 years, just like all of the others. Cheers bud, keep on riding ! Garry

@@economicalrides hi friend, actually RE batteries don't have a good reputation. However, personally I can't complain: I use the bike 12 months a year, in my home the temperature goes below zero in the winter. but I am equipped with technical clothing. I only use the motorbike on Saturday and Sunday, but I cover many kilometres. I believe this has allowed my battery to never be recharged, I never use recharging. As for the engine, it's a long run, low rpm, I'll easily get past 100,000 km without effort. mine is Black with decat exhaust and Indori silencer from India. I am driving the Third set of Tyres, Metzeler RoadTec 01, Superb, on dry even on wet climate! I also installed the 16 sprocket, with D.I.D. CHAIN, to lower the rpm, maintaining liveliness and torque. I carry out the services personally and the bike will stay in my garage forever.... Thanks for your reply my friend! Luca

@@lucasar6882 Hi Luca, yes of course. Regular use is the best thing for the battery AND the bike as a whole. Unfortunately I have multiple bikes and little time to ride them, so each bike can be stood around for a while sometimes, hence why I prefer the security of having them on chargers the whole time, whether in use or not 🙂 I'm glad to hear that your bike is doing so well and let's hope that we can get them to 100.000 km, that would be awesome ! I certainly don't want to sell mine !!! Buddy will need a new rear tyre soon, so maybe I will give those Metzeler RoadTecs a try myself, so thanks for the recommendation ! Thanks for watching and commenting Luca 👍🏻 Garry & Ruby 🐕

Three years Pete. Three years. But three years is not great for a battery that was always on an Optimate charger. 5-10 years would be a more normal life expectancy. But swapping out the OEM battery for a name brand one is probably a worthwhile upgrade for any RE owner. I am seriously considering preemptively replacing the battery on Norman now. If the same thing happens with him, with me half way up a goat track, with no phone signal, it's going to be a very annoying day. I'd probably gain peace of mind by having a decent battery on there. If only my inherent tightness would let me buy a new battery that I don't actually "need" yet 🤔 😂 Cheers Pete. Love to the crew. Garry & Ruby

Haha. Thanks Dave ! To be honest, out of frustration, I almost wrote the entire day off without filming anything ! Then at the last minute I thought "No, you can film THIS. THIS can be the video for next week.". I had no more time to go out and film something else last week, so it was a great decision to stay calm and just film the story of our little faux pas and how we went about getting it sorted. But it very nearly didn't happen. Getting up at 6am is hard for me and when it appeared to have been for nought, I was of course pretty frustrated ! That was definitely the most complicated battery swap I've ever done !!! Access is pretty bad and the non-captive nut on the positive terminal was just taking the Micky ! I was about to give up for the day but then, at the very last moment, the bolt took up the thread of the nut and it was job done, just as the shade I was in was about to disappear ! I was out for a four hour ride yesterday and zero issues. ECU light is staying off, Buddy is purring and all is right with the world ! So fortunately this was just a little bump in the road and fortunately only cost me one day. But the main thing is, I still got a video out of it !!!! Yey me !!!!!! 🥳 Cheers Dave, Garry & Ruby ❤🐕

Duby says "Thanks Dave !" 🐕 I have decided that replacing the OEM battery on any RE is probably a worthwhile upgrade Steve. Just for peace of mind. Although Norman is only just over a year old, I think I will get his battery off and get an equivalent EXIDE one on there. As you know, Norman goes where goats fear to tread. If the battery dies up some mountain trail where I have no phone signal, it will make for a very bad day ! I think having a different make of battery on there will give me added peace of mind. I shall give it my consideration and try not to be a tight arse about it 🤔 Breaking down in France is no big deal really. You just get out the fromage, the baguette and the vin rouge and have a nice little picnic at the roadside until the recovery 2CV turns up. It's all quite idyllic really 🇫🇷 Au revoir mon ami ! George and Mabel 🐕

Hi John, normally I would agree that three years is okay but considering that Buddy has been on an Optimate charger since day one, you would normally expect the battery to last 5-10 years, in my experience. By keeping the battery topped up to 100%, you usually maximise its lifespan. So three years is not great for a battery that has been so well looked after IMO. Oh, I checked out the Yamaha Tricity by the way. Very smart. Look at you ! Hopefully it'll keep you on "two wheels" for a bit longer John, even if it does have three ! 😂 Take care you lot and thanks for watching ! Garry & Ruby ❤🐕

Yes and he has been on one from day one ! This is why three years is a poor performance from the OEM battery. Normally, on a tender, EVERY battery lasts between 5 and 10 years. My scooter battery lasted over 11 years. Three years is the sort of life expectancy I would expect of a battery that had never been kept on a tender. The battery manufacturers usually give a three year guarantee on their batteries, so that seems reasonable. To only last three years, when it has been on an Optimate 4 tender all that time, is a pretty poor performance IMO. But as I mention in the video, lots of people have had bad experiences with the original batteries RE which fits to their bikes, so I wasn't too surprised when it happened to me ! Cheers Janett Garry

Hi Stephen, unfortunately that only helps on an EFI bike IF you still have enough juice left in the battery to fire up the fuel pump. My battery seemed to be dead internally and I could hear that the fuel pump was not firing up. If the fuel pump had been working, I would have been able to try to bump start Buddy but since it wasn't, I knew that there was no way that engine was going to start without a new battery on there. A kick starter is useful when the battery is low, too low for the starter motor to turn, but not low enough that it can't fire up the fuel pump. That's when a kick starter ( or a bump start ) can get you out of trouble. If the battery is as dead as a doornail, then with an EFI engine, you can't do anything other than replace the battery or use starter cables for a jump start, like we did here. Since bikes went over to fuel injection, a kick starter has become a lot less useful. I think the last RE to have one was the Classic 500, which was also EFI and electric start but it was still fun to use the kick starter, just because you could, and as part of the whole retro riding experience ! Cheers Stephen, Garry

Hi Glenn, three years would be pretty good if I hadn't used a maintenance charger but Buddy has always been on one and normally any battery usually lasts 5-10 years on a maintenance charger. I think it's fair to say that the OEM RE batteries are not great and replacing them is probably always a sensible upgrade. I might even preemptively get a new battery for Norman, even though he is only one year old. It could save me some hassle further down the line. If his OEM battery dies when I am off-road and up a mountain somewhere with no mobile signal, I will have a bit of a problem ! The LED ring ? Oh yes, forgot about that. I will have to check mine. Can't say that I've noticed it either way 🤷‍♂ But yes, if you have warranty, best to get it sorted now and for free ! Cheers Glenn 🙂 Garry & Ruby

Hi there. No. These batteries come dry and you have to add the acid yourself. That activates the battery and it is good to go. It gets a full charge when in use on the bike or when in the garage on the battery tender. All of my bikes have battery tenders, which is why 3 years was a pretty poor effort by the RE battery. On a tender batteries tend to last anything from 5-10 years. Buddy has been in the garage for over a day now, on the charger. The battery will be nicely topped up by now and of course, as you ride, it should be constantly taking a charge as well. Cheers, Garry

Hi William. Yes. Not sure that 40 EUR is cheap for a lead acid battery, but if it lasts 5 years on the maintenance charger, it will have been worth it. Fingers crossed 🤞 I think I will swap out the battery on Norman now, before it has a chance to let me down half way up a mountain with no mobile phone signal. Could be a wise move ! Cheers William, Garry & Ruby

@@economicalrides Look up what a Gel battery will cost 😀

@@WilliamAndrewPhilipBodie Just need to check if my battery tender is approved for gel batteries first 👍 The Himmy could definitely use the weight saving 😂 Cheers William 🙂 Garry & Ruby

Hi mate. Thanks. Yes. When it happened I was thinking that I probably wouldn't get a new battery until the following day at the earliest. The plan was to somehow get the bike home and get the battery off, so I could take it to the car parts shop the following day. But as I started out so early that morning and was able to ride Buddy home, I was home early enough that I thought that I stood a chance of getting it all sorted on the same day. Fortunately I had Norman and Ruby to help me out and we just about managed to finish the job before I lost the shade and it would have been too hot to continue ! 40 EUR for quite a large EXIDE battery is probably not a bad price, you're right. But I'm tight and enjoy moaning about the price of things 😂 Cheers Vanrides 👍🏻 Garry

😧 Didn't seem like it at the time but glad to have eventually got everything sorted the same day. That way, only one day got ruined 😝 Cheers Ice, Garry

Sounds like a quality purchase Stefan 😂 Unfortunately with EFI you can't bump start the bike, if the battery can't fire up the fuel pump. It's why I didn't try. I could hear that the fuel pump was not firing up, so there was no way it was going to start without a new battery on there. Fortunately the recovery guy had a starter pack with him and initially I said "yeah, give it a go, at least then we know that it is definitely JUST THE BATTERY and nothing more complicated". Buddy fired up right away, so we knew that the battery was the problem and I was then happy to ride Buddy home myself, just being extremely careful not to stall the engine at any point, of course 😂 Buddy now at least has a better quality battery which should last 5 years or more on my maintenance charger 🤞 Cheers Stefan, Garry & Ruby

@@economicalrides Don't fully agree, Garry .. You are right about fuel pump not starting but if you bump starting for few seconds, the power of the engine turning is enough to fire the fuel pump and the bike for 2-3 seconds but you need a bit of downhill slope for that, or buddies to push you to running speed. p.s. Many people are leaving jumping outlet cable somewhere on the bike for jacking up to a helpful car somewhere.

@@Stefan_trekkie Yeah. Where I was broken down was terribly flat unfortunately. There was no way I would have been able to keep the engine turning like that for long enough. I would have needed a strong and fit pusher to stand a chance. It was also a very busy road, so probably not the best place to try it ! I do actually own a small LiPo starter pack for such situations. Unfortunately it was in Norman's panniers at home at the time 😂 Cheers Stephan, Garry

Hi Peter, well, I've always had roadside assistance insurance and since I sold my Bullet 500, I've never needed it. I thought it was about time that they did something for all that money I pay them 😏 Mind you, they recovered my Bullet so many times that they probably think that I still owe them money !!!! Cheers Peter, take care of your minces 😎 Garry & Ruby

Thanks Blake. Actually, it was only at the very last minute that I decided to make a video out of it !!! I was really annoyed that I'd got up at 6am for nothing. And then, as I sat there waiting for the breakdown guy to arrive, I thought "Today doesn't have to be a wasted day. Get the camera out, show the world what is going on and maybe film the whole process of getting Buddy back to life again !". I almost didn't bother, I almost let my frustration get the better of me. I almost wrote the entire day off. But fortunately I stayed calm and decided that any kind of video is better than no video, which would have been the alternative because I had no further riding opportunities last week 👍🏻 So thanks and yeah, I am slightly proud of myself and Ruby and Norman enjoyed helping me sort it all out, as usual. Cheers Blake. Glad to hear that you got your truck sorted ! Take care buddy, Garry & Ruby ❤🐕 P.S. Don't you find that you like EconomicalRides' videos and would like to see more of them ? I do ! 😂

Do you use a maintenance charger ? I do and usually that extends battery life to 5-10 years for any battery. Buddy has always been on his Optimate charger. The battery charge has always been topped up. It's surprising that the battery barely lasted for three years IMO. But we knew that the OEM batteries from RE are not great. It's probably a worthwhile upgrade to swap them out immediately, which I will probably now do with Norman, even though he is only 13 months old. Better safe than sorry. I don't want to get a dead battery, stuck up a mountain somewhere with no phone signal ! That would be complicated and annoying ! I think I will have more peace of mind when that RE battery is off Norman too ! Cheers Steve and love to the dogs 🙂 Garry & Ruby

Hallo Stephan, ja, das stimmt ! Wenigstens hat Buddy jetzt eine anständige Batterie und wir sollten 5 oder mehr Jahre damit Ruhe haben ( Buddy hängt immer an einem Optimate Wartungslader ). Ich überlege mir jetzt auch eine anständige Batterie für Norman zu holen, auch wenn er nur ein Jahr alt ist. Wenn ich in den Bergen und ohne Funksignal deswegen liegen bleibe, wäre das nicht so lustig. Ich überlege mir das noch 🤔 Viel Spaß mit den Rollern und LG an alle, Garry & Ruby

Wenn du mit Norman in den Bergen liegen bleibst ist das halb so schlimm, du kannst da ja anrollen lassen.

@@stephanl.4857 Ja aber irgendwann ist der Hügel zu Ende und dann habe ich ein Problem 😂 Und ob das auf Kies so einfach geht ist die andere Frage. Da blockiert das Rad sicher eher als dass es sich dreht. Den so zu starten stelle ich mir schwierig vor. Das teste ich aber mal, sobald ich hier wieder off-road fahren darf. Wäre interessant zu wissen ! Aber ich würde lieber eine anständige Batterie haben, denke ich 👍🏻

Du musst dann in den höchsten Gang schalten und erstmal auf Schwung kommen bevor du die Kupplung kommen lässt.

@@stephanl.4857 Werde ich auf jeden Fall ausprobieren aber ich bin mir nicht sicher ob ich im Ernstfall so die Benzinpumpe wieder ins Leben rufen werde, wenn die Batterie das nicht mehr schafft. Ich habe keine Ahnung ob die Benzinpumpe dann überhaupt angehen würde, ob die Relays das überhaupt zulassen dann usw. Um das richtig zu testen, müsste ich die Batterie auch abklemmen und nach dem Kampf mit dem positiven Terminal in diesem Fall mache ich das jetzt natürlich ungern 😂 Cheers Stephan, Garry

Hi Ken, no, a kick starter wouldn't have helped. It's why I didn't even bother trying to bump start it. With fuel injection, if the battery doesn't fire up the fuel pump and relays, the bike will never start. I could hear that the fuel pump wasn't firing up, so no point in me trying to bump start it and a kick starter would have been no use either. This battery was dead/dead. Something must have broken inside the battery. I never measured the voltage but it must have been very low because the dash was flickering, so it was struggling to fire up the LED backlight etc. That's when EFI becomes a pain. It needs a decent amount of power to be able to fire up the fuel pump. With a low battery, you stand a chance that the juice might fire up the fuel pump. With a dead battery, you are going nowhere because the engine is getting no fuel. It was okay though. Since I sold my Bullet 500 I've been paying for roadside assistance and have never needed it. It was good to finally get something for my annual premium and best of all, like you say, I was able to easily find a new battery locally, so I was back on the road later that same day 👍🏻 It all worked out well in the end and although I didn't get to do my intended ride, I still managed to get a video out 😇 Cheers Ken, hugs to the girls, Garry & Ruby

Hi Simon, yes, Ruby definitely "helped" and deserved her sossidge ! Thanks again for your meaty contribution ! Yeah, it's a bit tricky with the Classic 350 and Classic 500 thing, particularly when ordering from India. I believe that in India they had a previous Classic 350, which was indeed a Classic 500 with a smaller engine. So not "our" Classic 350 at all. And I think that causes a lot of confusion in eBay listings etc. Still, it sounds as though you finally have the right shifter and the heel/toe shifter is a great upgrade for the Classic. I would have got one myself but at the time you could only buy them from India and I refuse to do that because of hassles we get here with customs. It will be the same hassle for me, buying from the UK now, which is a real pain because I used to use Hitchcock's a lot when I had my Bullet 500 ! Considering that all of my bikes are on battery maintenance chargers, three years was a pretty poor result IMO. In my experience, in that situation, all batteries last 5-10 years. My scooter battery lasted 11 years ! The OEM battery was always topped up, so should have been in the very best of health. Surprised to see it die like that after just three years, to be honest. Still, the new battery is almost certainly of better quality and should last a fair bit longer ! Good luck with the new shifter Simon, we hope the fitting goes smoothly 🤞 Garry & Ruby "Fanks Simon !" 🐕

@@economicalrides I'm sure it will be fine for your new battery and my shifter. Happy riding for you and walking for Ruby.

@@simonchilli2088 Thanks Simon ! ❤🐕

@@ytr8989 Hi Alex, I understand that situation all too well. For many years my nearest RE dealer was six hours drive away, which wasn’t really an option. I’m glad to now have an RE dealer who is “only” one and a half hours from my home. It’s hard to buy any new bike without the security blanket of dealer backup fairly nearby, I appreciate that. I hope the situation improves for you soon. You never know. The more success RE has in the US, the more likely it is that new dealerships will open up, maybe someday, one nearer to you ! 🤞 Cheers Alex, ER.

Hi Brandon, may I refer you to my previous video here ? : th-cam.com/video/qoBw3-kh20U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4ypPN8upWNkt7j5I I've averaged 107 Imperial mpg doing mixed riding. I'd say that in my case, I am most likely always over 100 Imperial mpg. Just be aware that once you go beyond 55 mph, the consumption increases quite a bit, it's maybe 25-30% higher. So motorway range tends to be 250-350 km rather than the 500+km I got in that video. It's fair to say that the RE 350s are very economical and the Meteor has the largest tank of all of them, meaning that you can ride A LONG WAY before you need to fill up again. Cheers Brandon, ER

@economicalrides ohhh, I see. Imperial miles. In US that equates to 90. That makes sense! Thank you! That's still awesome for a motorcycle.

@@brandonboss6868 👍🏻 I wasn't sure where you were from, so made a point of adding the "Imperial" just in case 😇 Yes, about 90 US mpg is easily achievable at 55 mph average, which is usually the most I do up here on our mountain roads. With the fairly large tank of the Meteor, I can usually go out for three different weekend rides before needing to fill up again. I hate buying gas ( not because of the cost, just because of the hassle ), so not having to visit the gas station every time I want to go out is a real bonus for me. I can recommend all of the RE 350s to anybody, as long as they don't need to ride above 60 mph consistently. If they need to do that, that's pushing these bikes out of their comfort zone a little bit and I would recommend a larger capacity motorcycle, preferably a twin. Of the RE 350s, the Meteor remains my favourite by some margin ! Cheers Brandon, Garry

@economicalrides haha, now I'm seeing people say it averages 65 mpg. Do you think it's because they are riding at higher speeds? Pushing its bike to its limit? Before I buy this bike, I'd like to be sure it has at least 80 mpg, haha.

@@brandonboss6868 That's crazy low !!! Those people must be ragging the bikes like hell to keep up 70 mph on the freeway or something. That is the sort of consumption you get with the throttle pinned ! Like I said, if you keep it around 55 mph you should get close to 90 mpg every time. Well I would. I've no idea how these other people you mention are riding, but I'm guessing pretty bone-headed, trying to get a 350 to do what they should have bought a 500 for ! But it's true, once you get beyond 55 mph and up around 60 mph, they drink a fair bit more. And the faster you go, the worse it gets. Stay at 55 and below and you should see 90 US mpg pretty regularly. Cheers Brandon, Garry

Hi John. Just a quick ride was all I had time for and I had nothing to talk about last week 🙂 Regards to you both, Garry & Ruby

@@economicalrides thanks Gary .

Hi Andy, I decided that sound was going to be important for this sort of thing, so dug out my TASCAM and put it in my rucksack to record in decent quality and more or less completely out of the wind. It was a quick and easy solution, only downside was having to synch the separate audio with the video, but I got good at doing that back in the olden days. I shall be doing more of these, in addition to my usual stuff, whether people like them or not. But based on the comments, those with discerning taste, like this sort of thing and these videos will be nice to watch when the weather is too crap for riding 🙂 Cheers CC 👍🏻 G&R

Well, gravel sossidges do of course have their own special charm but this time she was on the paving slabs to stay in the shade, I think. It's well over 30C here every day now and she's not daft ! But as you can clearly see, she really enjoyed your sossidge and I will put a few Euros of your kind donation towards the next bottle of 🥃 and will drink a couple of glasses to your good health ! Thank you so much Simon and Ruby says you are the "bestest" ❤🐕 Stay safe ! Garry & Ruby

Thank you James. This was the first time I tried to mount a rear facing camera on the Meteor and I must admit that I was very happy with the result. You can see that after adding some preload, the damper and spring on the Meteor are actually moving up and down a bit, at last ! 😂 I will do a few more of these as I encounter nice stretches of road because doing videos where I have to talk is hard work for me. Because I live alone, I find talking to be genuinely hard work. Not a problem that you and many others have but I usually don't have much to say because all I usually do is work and sleep 🤷‍♂ So for those weeks when I don't have much to tell everyone, it will be good to have a few Virtual Ride videos lying around. And of course, even a Virtual Ride will have a REAL SOSSIDGE at the end. I can't make a video without one these days. I'd get too many complaints ! Thanks James. Glad you enjoyed it. It was nice for me to be able to just focus on enjoying the ride for once and not having to worry about keeping the narration going or remembering what I wanted to say and in which order. 🙂 Much love to you and Mrs A. Garry & Ruby ❤🐕

@economicalrides my problem now is remembering what I was going to say there is never a time when I arrive home and then realise that I haven't spoken about anything that I wanted to. Now the sound is getting better I should be able to get going again hopefully 😳

Hi Nigel, thanks for that, glad you enjoyed it ! I hope to do a few more of these on the nicer sections of some of my longer rides. Not every video needs to be 30 minutes long but unfortunately most of the nicer roads I ride are 30 minutes and longer. I think in future I might record some of these longer rides in sections and then I'll soon have a few virtual ride videos in the bank for the weeks when I am struggling to make a new video 👍🏻 That's the plan anyway. As usual, life could still get in the way ! Still crazy busy here and of course, now we are into the heart of summer and the temps are too hot for riding, unless you get out really early in the morning, which unfortunately is not my forte 😂 I hope all is well with your good self and that you are able to get some good rides in 🤞 Thanks again Nigel, always nice to hear from you and always helpful to get viewer feedback 🙂👍🏻 Garry & Ruby

Hi Dave, yes, they do do tours but as far as I know only for groups. So if I had 10 friends who wanted to come with me, we could probably do it. But you have to book as a group and since ( apart from Ruby ) I have no friends, it's going to be tricky for me to do 😂 But yes, it would be great to see what they can see and also to film it. I will bear it in mind and see what I can do. But having checked out their website, it does appear as though you need a sizeable group before they will let you book a tour. Cheers Dave, always appreciate input for potential new videos ! 👍🏻 Garry

@@economicalrides Gary, Perhaps when you tell them anything you film has the potential to be seen on youtube by many thousands of subscribed viewers they may make an exception and give you the grand tour in person. It cant hurt to ask next time you are in the area. Or maybe visit their website and pose the question to them on-line. Please keep me posted on anything you find out. Thanks....... And Good Luck!!!

@@davetrabert6992 OK Dave. Will do, although I never feel comfortable telling people that I have a TH-cam channel. I had it for two years before my parents found out ! 😂 Still deeply embarrassed when my RE dealer asks me how my channel is doing, every time I pop my head around the door. Basically, this is Ruby's sossidge eating channel and I just get to cram in some motorbike related stuff occasionally 🐕 😂

Thanks Mike ! Glad you enjoyed it. I am intending to do a few of these, just because they are videos I can film any time and edit at my leisure. Hopefully then I will begin to have a couple of videos in reserve for the weeks where I really don't have the time to film and edit one of my usual videos. At the moment I am really pushed for time and getting a big production video out is a real struggle. Hopefully things will calm down a bit soon. The next video will probably be something a bit different again ! Don't say I don't mix things up for you 😝😇 Cheers Mike 🥃 Garry

Danke Stephan. Ja, ich habe nur den "Trailer" extra gemacht, weil ich gedacht habe dass ich hieraus eventuell eine separate Serie machen werde. Solche Videos kann ich mit wenig Zeitaufwand aufnehmen und dann in Ruhe fertig machen. Ich erhoffe mir so, vielleicht eines Tages, ein paar Videos in Reserve zu haben, für die Wochen wo ich keine Zeit hatte ein "normales" zu drehen und fertig zu stellen 🤞 Das würde ja den Druck ein bißchen wegnehmen 😝 Kommst Du mit den standard Spiegeln und GPS Halterung für die Vespa schon weiter ? LG Garry

Guten Morgen Garry, das ist eine gute Idee von dir uns einfach bei einer Fahrt mitzunehmen. Die Spiegel habe ich dran und eine RAM-Mount-Kugel auch. Schicke dir gleich mal ein paar Bilder, habe ja noch mehr gemacht. LG Stephan

@@stephanl.4857 Schön dass dein Projekt "Vespa Pan European" vorankommt Stephan 😂👍🏻 Freue mich auf die Bilder ! LG Garry

😂 Thanks CC ! I am hoping to do a bit of a series of these, just because they are relatively quick and easy to make, but still enjoyable to watch. I need something that I can film and then edit at my leisure which doesn't take up too much time. If I can film a few of these, at least I will have some videos in reserve for the weeks where I am struggling to make a "normal" one. So it's good to hear that folks don't mind one of these from time to time. Like you say, nice videos to watch when you aren't able to get out yourself, for whatever reason. Thanks matey, feel free to bookmark it ! 🙂 Garry & Ruby

Thanks Bob ! Go for it mate. As long as you don't commit to doing one video per week ( like some idiot I know 😂), it doesn't matter how long it takes 🙂 This was the first time that I've mounted a rear facing camera to Buddy and considering I didn't spend any time at all perfecting the angle, I think the rear facing footage looks really good. I love seeing the damper moving up and down as I go down the road. I bet if I'd filmed this before adding preload, we would have been able to see that the spring and damper were not moving at all ! That would have been very interesting to see ! Good luck with your video Bob 👍🏻 Garry & Ruby ❤🐕

Thanks Glenn ! 🤗 I am hoping to do more of these, covering some of my favourite stretches of road, each with a max length of 15-20 minutes. That way I don't have to constantly think about stuff to talk about 😂 I can also make these videos without riding too far from home, so maybe I can film a few in the odd free hour I get, edit them at my leisure and then finally get ahead with my video making. We can but dream ! Thanks again Glenn. Take care ! Garry & Ruby