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
I got 9 months out of my stock battery, despite regular riding. It died suddenly less than a week after I'd ridden the motorcycle. It was a pain in the neck to swap, and I still don't think that everything is correctly placed, but the side panel closes, and it starts, so I'm fine for now. 2023 Royal Enfield Classic 350, not the Meteor, which I keep considering. The channel is great, by the way - especially Ruby. Thank you for the video! FG Rides in Pennsylvania USA
Awwww ! Thanks FG. We're glad to hear that we have fans over in Pennsylvania ❤🐕 Yes. The OEM batteries seem to vary in quality from hopeless to okayish. Mine did well to last three years although considering that it was always connected to a battery tender, that was quite a short life really. With a battery tender most batteries seem to last 5-10 years, in my experience. Now considering changing the battery on Norman the Himalayan preemptively. The sooner we get those RE batteries off the bikes, the better, I reckon ! Your comment about stuff maybe not being in the right place but the side panel closing made me chuckle. That's exactly how I feel after replacing Buddy's battery. I just stuffed it all in there and made sure that the lock wasn't going to damage any wires and hoped for the best. To be honest, I think that's what they do in the factory anyway. On all three of my recent REs it was pretty untidy in there ! Changing a battery on a bike used to be so easy. On my scooter there is an inline connector on the red and black leads. So you can open the two connections and remove the battery with the wires still attached. Then you can mount the wires to the new battery OFF THE BIKE and slide the battery back in, reconnect to two connectors and the job is done. THAT is how all bikes should be. I think I will rant about that in my next video 😂 Cheers FG. I think you'd enjoy the Meteor too btw. Garry & Ruby
My Honda Rebel, Reggie, has the battery under the seat. It's covered by a plastic shield and all the relays are attached to this shield. The fuses are 'below' this shield, which means when a fuse goes, it takes over an hour just to get to the fuses, let alone change them. I find, borrowing the hands of a small handed gynaecologist helps immensely. Well done Norman.
😂😂😂 Well, in that case Kevin, kudos to RE for keeping things "nice and simple" on the Meteor ! 😝 I suppose Honda has to ensure enough workshop hours for their dealers at every service🤷♂ You are very lucky to have a small handed gynaecologist with an interest in motorcycle mechanics at your disposal. I'd be screwed if I owned a Rebel ! Yes, Norman and Buddy are now officially "battery buddies", just like Buddy and Malcolm were a few weeks back ! 👍🏻 I am now considering preemptively replacing the RE battery on Norman, even though it is only just one year old. I appreciate that batteries age over time but when a fully charged battery can just spontaneously die like that, it's a bit of a concern. I am fighting with myself, trying to convince myself that it's okay to spend money on a new battery that I don't yet actually "need". I think it will give me a bit more peace of mind next time I have to switch off Norman 😱 We'll see if I do the right thing or if my inherent tightness prevails ! 😂 Cheers Kevin, Garry & Ruby & the crew
Thanks Pete. Also received that tip from a mechanic who watched the video ! You must be a proper engine👂 I was almost at the point where I was going to give up, go away and figure out some trick to get the nut to align. I was toying with the idea of Blu Tac or hot glue or something 🙂 And then, at the last attempt, the bugger went in. Typical !!!! An hour of my life that I'll never get back ! 🤬
@@HippoDrones Or maybe do a proper job and just make two versions of the same battery, one with a tacked on threaded block for forward mounting and one with the threaded block turned back 90 degrees for top mounting. Designate the batteries "Modelnumber-F" for front mounting threads and "Modelnumber-T'" for top mounting threads. But no. That way it wouldn't take me an hour and a half to fit a new battery, so let's not do that ! 😂 Cheers Pete 🍺 Garry
Always satisfying to be able to fix it yourself. Like Hippo, I always put something under the nuts 👍🏼 Have you had to change Norman’s battery yet? That’s a squeeze too 😐
@@Saddlebags73 No, but I know what you mean. Under the seat, wedged between the frame rails. The terminals are not even easily accessible. Nightmare ! I am considering changing the battery as a precaution but the tightness in me says that it’s only just over a year old 😂😂😂 So you can fully expect me to have a similar failure in 18 months time, just with Norman, knowing myself as I do 😇 ! As ever, Ruby was a great help and made sure I did the job right 🐕 Looking forward to rabbits we are !!! Love from Spain to you both from the two of us !
@@triketacular8093 I think you might be right to be nervous. Exeter Rider just told me that the battery on his second hand Meteor just died. Two years old I believe. It might be worth considering replacing yours before it gets a chance to die on you. Yours must be about the same age as mine was when it died. I didn’t mention it in the video but all of my bikes are on Optimate chargers, so three years was not really a good effort from the RE battery IMO. I think you should definitely consider changing the battery now, if it is still the original RE one 👍🙂 But I get it. We’re all reluctant to replace anything that’s still working 😂 I’ll probably ride Norman until his battery dies too 🤦 But yes, if you are not as tight as I am, definitely consider changing it preemptively 👍 Cheers bud, Garry
Yep it appears that is one of the places they saved a few bob on the build, but we can’t really complain we just have to factor it in to long term ownership, I plan to change mine at the two year mark so as not to be let down at a inconvenient time, lucky you were able to sort it out quickly Garry all the best buddy 👍
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
Evening Ruby and Garry 😊 well I have had my Classic for two and a half years now, so I better start saving. The Himalayan is just 2 years old. Oh dear me, getting the battery out of the Classic was a nightmare the Himalayan well no problems with her 😊 enjoyed this one Garry and happy new haircut Ruby xx
@@Ainsworth-Rider Hi James ! Norman is just over one year old but I am already considering preemptively changing his battery. We’ll see. I think that having a decent battery on there will give me added peace of mind when I’m up a mountain ! Ruby says thanks for the cuddle and “Yes, I do look smart and it’s cooler in the summer too Uncle James !”. 🐕
Top job Garry, Ruby, Buddy and Norman, I really enjoyed this video it's just so wrong being entertained by someone else's woes but I knew you and the gang would prevail! Brilliant! 😀👍
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 ❤🐕
Evening Garry blimey 2 years is that all, I’ve only just put one on my 13 year old Vespa, I use yuasa so down to motoculture tomorrow for a new one as the classic is 2 years old last month, glad you got buddy sorted thanks for the heads up 👍 thems in Normandie
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
Yes. The OEM RE branded batteries have always had a bit of a reputation for not being great. Getting a new battery from a brand you trust is always going to be a worthwhile upgrade for any RE owner IMO. I am now looking into replacing the battery on my Himalayan, which is currently still fine, just to be on the safe side and to avoid future hassles 👍🏻 Cheers T-F Garry
you make me think i should have made a video this morning, i went out three days ago and used the truck and the back window regulator went which means the window goes down inside the door. trash bag for three days and got the part via ebay. installed it this morning. it seems that the regulators go about every 4 years or so. but they are only 35 dollars and about an hour and a half to install. but i have 4 windows... any ways, great unexpected video as you changed gears and kept filming! that is talent sir. i am happy to see that it was done in a day which is why we do our filming in the early morning, so its not that hot and if something goes wrong, we have time to figure out the fix. i pat you on the back!
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 ! 😂
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 🥰
i truly love watching Economical Rides videos, and i would love to watch more of them. i even dream of ER videos.... wait that Exeter Rider... sorry, got it confused.
Sorry to see you had a problem with Buddy but glad it is all sorted now, even though it took a while. I went for a ride with my mate last week and his battery died, when we stopped for a drink. He had to be recovered and bought a new battery a couple of days later. It cost £94 😲. I've bought bikes for a similar price, albeit many years ago 😅 Love to Ruby from me and from Willow Cheers Garry Dave & Willow 🐶
Hi Dave, yes, I've had it happen to me a few times in 40 years of biking, that the battery dies as soon as you shut the engine down and current stops flowing through it. It's one of the reasons why Itchy Boots gives me heart attacks. She is in the middle of nowhere and shuts the engine off for barely a minute and then sets off again. Seems like an unnecessary invitation to get stranded with a dead battery every time she does that. But I suppose she will have a starter pack with her, otherwise she would be much better off to just leave the bike running in those situations ! I've had at least three batteries die when I switched the engine off, possibly four. And back then nobody had a starter pack with them 😂 94 quid is pretty expensive for a battery, presumably it was something a bit flash. For a bog standard lead acid battery in the appropriate size, I thought that 40 EUR was borderline expensive. 30 EUR feels about right to me but in that situation I was just desperate to get it sorted the same day, so no chance to shop around. Take care you two. Ruby was inspired by Willow to help her Dad with the spannering btw. !!! "Pass me a 10 mil Willers ! Nice one !" 🐕
I'm glad you got it going again with a bit of help. I have only recently been thinking that my 2021 bike that only had 900 miles on it perhaps could do with a new one, that low milage for a bike thats been sat around. Norman saved the day, I must admit, breaking down in France is far from ideal,but I guess you know the lingo which makes things a lot easier. Alls well that ends well matey Dubys haircut looks proper smart
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 🐕
It’s amazing how the batteries last the same time the warranty runs out. All part of the plan from the manufactures I guess 🤔 Great video as usual mate , Buddy sends his love to Ruby
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
Gee, things happen, at the most inconvenient times, I guess. So glad you got it sorted out, just faff of awaiting for the breakdown and then fitting a new better quality item. As Mike says in a post here. I might look at replacing it at 2 years old.
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 ❤🐕
My Meteor battery failed after only 9 months. The new Exide battery has faired much better at 2 years old. I also use a battery tender as recommended by yourself. My Meteor is nearly 3 years old and has done 24,000klms. Apart from the required services, I've only had to replace the battery, tyres and chain. I've basically had 3 years of trouble free riding. Can't praise Royal Enfield enough. Fantastic value for money.
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
I had the same issue. Mine gave out after only 1.5 years. Mine wasn't covered under warranty. I installed a Yuasa battery and haven't had any issues since.
Hi there, yes, I suspected that RE don't include the battery under any kind of warranty, most manufacturers don't. Yuasa make great long lasting batteries but they are hard to get hold of where I am, so I have to make do with whatever the parts shop has. The batteries RE uses are renowned for not lasting very long, so I imagine that ANY other battery is going to at least be an improvement ! Cheers sir, 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
@@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
Hey Garry, sorry for your troubles. The battery on my Meteor gave up the ghost at the beginning of this year...after only two years 🙄 Last week I noticed the LED headlamp ring has stopped working. Not a big deal but I plan on stopping by my RE dealer this week and have them take a look at it as the bike is still under warranty. Cheers, Glenn
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 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 ❤🐕
@@johnbellamy6449 Working on Tuesday's video as we speak John. Need to film Ruby eating another sossidge later on 🥰 Take care John and enjoy your weekend ! Garry
Ruby deserved that sossidge after all that! And you deserve a nice cold drink for you perseverance! I thought 3 years with a battery was ok but I don't know how long they should last. I'm going nowhere fast at the moment as the heal and toe gear shifter I ordered was the wrong size. It's too big for the Classic 350 so I presume as with Warro it's for the 500 Classic which he had a spare of. I received the 350 one today from Hitchcock's so I can get that done tomorrow.
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 !" 🐕
Hi Alistair, yes, I've always had all of my bikes hooked up to maintenance chargers, which is why I thought that 3 years for the RE battery was quite poor. Just about any battery will last 5 years if you can keep it topped up. I've even had batteries last 11 years on the maintenance charger ! But yes, I think the EXIDE will probably be okay for another 5 years if I look after it. The greatest relief was finding the correct battery in stock in the only car parts place for miles. I was keen to get the whole kerfuffle sorted the same day and not end up ruining two or more days. So I was lucky in that respect. It was all fixed by just after lunchtime in the end ! If I can overcome my inherent reluctance to spend money, I might now buy an EXIDE battery for Norman, just to be on the safer side with him ! Cheers Alistair, Garry
I bought a RE Meteor 350 after watching your video and had nothing but problems. Certainly not your fault by any means ! Had the exact same issue as this just a week after collection. After that, the speedo fogged up completely and was unreadable, then it developed a horrendous oil leak from its sump (turns out the drain plug wasn't screwed in properly). To top it all off, I was on a Sunday ride, and the front wheel began to judder violently, managed to pull up and get it transported to my mechanic. The nut and bolt that held the wheel on had shaken itself loose. Maybe I just got a Dud bike, but I've had two friends have similar problems to me. I've since returned the bike to the dealer. I purchased it off. Traded it in and got myself a Honda Rebel 500, which works perfectly and is built like a tank. All I'd say with Royal Enfield is be bloody careful. They are trying to make out they aren't unreliable anymore, but from my experience, they still are. Cheap parts, shoddy production, and an overall lack of quality. Granted, they are cheap but cheap, but they shouldn't mean unsafe. For reference, my RE meteor 350 was brand new and had just 3 miles on it.
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
Nice that you could get a battery locally, Everything tends to have to be 'ordered' from bike shops/motor factors in my area so it's just as easy to turn to the internet. So, R/Es modernized to the point of not having a kickstart anymore? Pity, you'd probably have been right on your way, albeit with a bit of a grumble 🙂 Cheers Gary 👍 ( Tell Ruby that she looks resplendent with her groom) 😉
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
My Meteor's original battery expired at about the same time span. One clue it was on the way out was that the clock in the speedo display would not keep the correct time. Had to keep resetting it after the engine had not been started for a day or two. Took the hint and did the battery change before I got stuck somewhere. Another clue is that with a multimeter the retained battery charge is less than 12.5V. 12.7V seems to be 100% charge.
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
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
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
@@economicalrides i'm still part of the enfield family, i'll always absolutely adore the meteor 350!! its such an amazing bike for no money at all, and i'll always recommend it to people and i'll always keep coming here mate! Enfields are such amazing bikes right now for the right price and actual heritage!!!
@@BelgianDoomer That's great to hear BD. I feel the same way. Should I ever sell Buddy, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Meteor to anybody ! Such a great package at a really reasonable price. And the fuel economy of course ! Amazing ! Thanks BD, glad to hear that you are going to stick around because you have been here since the beginning ( ouch, I apologise for those early videos ! ) 👍🏻🙂 Take care, have fun and let me know how your first two up tour goes ! Al the best, Garry & Ruby
Hallo Garry, das Phänomen mit den kaputten Batterien tritt immer auf wenn man es nicht gebrauchen kann, es ist aber schön das Buddy wieder läuft. LG Stephan, Doro & Ramses
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
@@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 👍🏻
@@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
Well, that's a coincidence, as I broke down on Sunday in somewhat more dramatic circumstances as it was at a very bleak location on Bodmin Moor. Unlike your recovery guy, I wasn't offered the battery pack. And it all had a very unfortunate ending later that night and then the next day. That's for the full vlog which will be out at some point, however I have some negotiating to do with the MD of BSA UK tomorrow. Also, my battery only lasted 5months and I was charged considerably more than 40 Euros for the replacement. Short vid should be out tomorrow some point. On the positive side (if there is one) I've got a good Battery in there now and BSA batteries are located in a sensible position.
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 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
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
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
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
Nice video, don't stress about it. All that reminds me for my first bike, an old Kawasaki KZ 250C. The bike was with dead battery but poor young lad me did not buy a battery, oh no.. That is too much of the petrol and beer money. So, I use to bump start it every morning for a whole summer. 😂😂 .. Also had factory installed automatic chain oiler system. The output shaft seal was gone bad and leaked engine oil to the chain while riding. 🤣🤣🤣
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
Does Buddy have a battery tender? The previous owner of Sunny, my Meteor, had one installed. I just plug Sunny up after I have him parked for the night
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
😧 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
Hi Gary. Do you keep you bikes on tenders while you are not riding. Al. Three of my bikes live on tenders when parked. Never had a battery problem yet. Touch wood. Optimate is the brand most popular in Canada. They are connected all winter and summer long. Charging systems on bikes are poor at best so keeping the battery on a tender I feel is the only way to go. Cheers.
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
Hey mate...yout Meteor looks....quite new! How many Km ? Mine is a February 22 with 45.000 kmperfect bikeby now battery is still ok. Usingonly Week enf and sleeping in my garage. ;-) Have fun buddy
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 🐕
For the annoying nuts I use a piece of paper folded to temporarily hold them in place, it makes the job easier specially when the supplied screws are short. Saludos
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
You can push start them .......they will fire up as soon as the engines spinning fast enough to produce volts to run the injection and fuel pump. My battery lasted 3 weeks, and its not covered under RE warranty, you have to claim off the manufacturers in India.
Hi Matty. Yes I figured as much but where I was was extremely flat and it was also a busy main road. I didn't think that trying to push start the bike was worth getting killed for and I have roadside recovery which I pay for and previously have never used. It took an hour for the guy to arrive but with the starter pack Buddy fired up right away and I could set off home. Good to know that if it should ever happen at the top of a steep hill, I have a chance of saving myself an hour's wait next time though. Never tried it and wasn't sure if the pump would fire up but I suppose it makes sense that it would, since I was effectively riding the bike all the way home without a battery, because it seemed to have died completely, hence the ECU warning. I don't think any motorcycle manufacturer allows warranty on batteries, so no surprise there. I don't think 3 years was all that great, considering that Buddy has been on an Optimate maintenance charger from day one, but clearly these OEM batteries are a bit rubbish, I've heard that from various sources. Did you go to the trouble of claiming from the battery manufacturer or did you just shrug, save yourself the hassle and go out and buy a decent replacement ? I think that's what I'd do. There is only so much grief that I am prepared to go through for the sake of €40 and it's not a lot ! Cheers Matty 👍🏻 Have a great weekend ! Garry
@economicalrides I shrugged my shoulders, called the dealer rubbish names ( their service is crap, and it's only them, other RE dealers are great to deal with) Fitted a yuasa and mines on a maintainer and has been since day 1 as I have additional things that have insidious low current standby like dash cam , GPS tracker etc. The factory battery is a known weak point, I'm amazed your one lasted as long as it did. Mines on the bench still holding a charge but only makes 80 amps cranking instead of the required 150 CCA
@@mattyb7736 👍 I’d love a Yuasa battery but a bit hard to find here locally and I was in a hurry to get Buddy going again. You were certainly unlucky to have your OEM battery die so quickly but you went about solving it as I would 👍 Much as RE are slowly moving over to Showa suspension rather than no-name stuff, if they want to improve their quality a bit more for no real effort they should bin the Indian brand batteries and fit Yuasa from the factory. That would be a smart move, even if it did make the bikes 20 quid more expensive ! Having new bikes with batteries dying in the first few months is not a good look ! Thanks Matty and glad you got it sorted. I think that I will try to source a Yuasa for the Himalayan before its battery has a chance to die on me !!! Cheers 🍺🍺 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 🙂
@@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.
Hi. I assessed the probability of that working to be quite low. With an EFI bike, if the battery is so dead that it doesn't fire up the fuel pump ( like here ) you probably need a longish slope or outside assistance to get everything to fire up and eventually for the engine to start. Unfortunately. where it happened, the road was very busy and very flat, so I didn't see much hope of me being able to bump start it safely on my own. If I had been at the top of a hill on a less busy road, I would have given it a try, of course. Besides, I have roadside assistance insurance which I have been paying for but never using. I finally got some use out of it 🙂 Cheers, ER
I guess my three year old battery will also die soon as I have to charge it after having the bike sitting for a time as it won't start otherwise. No other bike had this issue in such a short time after production. So the RE OEM battery is just utter cr*p. Three years is nothing for a quality battery. Such a waste and negative impact on the environment. What size/specification is right for a replacment of the battery in the Meteor?
I wrote a long reply but then TH-cam just swallowed it 🤬 All manufacturers use different codes for naming their batteries, so I can't give you a part number or anything. Best to do what I did and take the old one to a car parts shop and they will find something with the same form factor and terminal orientation and output. If you want to order online, just Google 'Meteor 350 replacement battery' and you should find a fair few suitable batteries. Then just go with a brand you trust. I agree. If you are going to burn through the earth's resources building batteries, at least use them to build the best batteries that you can and not some "that'll do for six months" cheap rubbish ! When the battery dies completely, like mine did, you can still bump start the Meteor but you will probably need a long downhill run because you will have to generate enough electricity to fire up the fuel pump before anything else can happen. So when the battery is completely dead, it is harder work bump starting an EFI engine but apparently not impossible. I didn't bother trying because where I broke down was flat and the road was very busy. It wasn't worth dying for and I have roadside recovery insurance which I normally never get to use ! If you still have the RE branded battery on your bike, then yes, I would recommend replacing it asap, as I will now do with the battery on my Himalayan. Good luck with it 👍 Garry
Pray tell how many klicks (km) Sire My batt needed replacing at 28,000 km ish, brake pads @ 27,000 , chain n sprocket @ 30,000 km , though that probably my fault. I ran it with with a loose chain for 10k + 🤡 *Plough* 🎉
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
Still at least you knew better than to start pulling out relays, remove white grease and take out the starter motor, all by the roadside 🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂
You'd have to be a total nutter to do that Peter ! Not sure I know of anybody that committed 🤔
😝
YUASA batteries have always been my favorite.
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
I got 9 months out of my stock battery, despite regular riding. It died suddenly less than a week after I'd ridden the motorcycle. It was a pain in the neck to swap, and I still don't think that everything is correctly placed, but the side panel closes, and it starts, so I'm fine for now. 2023 Royal Enfield Classic 350, not the Meteor, which I keep considering. The channel is great, by the way - especially Ruby. Thank you for the video!
FG Rides in Pennsylvania USA
Awwww ! Thanks FG. We're glad to hear that we have fans over in Pennsylvania ❤🐕
Yes. The OEM batteries seem to vary in quality from hopeless to okayish. Mine did well to last three years although considering that it was always connected to a battery tender, that was quite a short life really. With a battery tender most batteries seem to last 5-10 years, in my experience.
Now considering changing the battery on Norman the Himalayan preemptively. The sooner we get those RE batteries off the bikes, the better, I reckon !
Your comment about stuff maybe not being in the right place but the side panel closing made me chuckle. That's exactly how I feel after replacing Buddy's battery. I just stuffed it all in there and made sure that the lock wasn't going to damage any wires and hoped for the best.
To be honest, I think that's what they do in the factory anyway. On all three of my recent REs it was pretty untidy in there !
Changing a battery on a bike used to be so easy.
On my scooter there is an inline connector on the red and black leads. So you can open the two connections and remove the battery with the wires still attached. Then you can mount the wires to the new battery OFF THE BIKE and slide the battery back in, reconnect to two connectors and the job is done. THAT is how all bikes should be.
I think I will rant about that in my next video 😂
Cheers FG. I think you'd enjoy the Meteor too btw.
Garry & Ruby
My Honda Rebel, Reggie, has the battery under the seat. It's covered by a plastic shield and all the relays are attached to this shield. The fuses are 'below' this shield, which means when a fuse goes, it takes over an hour just to get to the fuses, let alone change them. I find, borrowing the hands of a small handed gynaecologist helps immensely. Well done Norman.
😂😂😂
Well, in that case Kevin, kudos to RE for keeping things "nice and simple" on the Meteor ! 😝
I suppose Honda has to ensure enough workshop hours for their dealers at every service🤷♂
You are very lucky to have a small handed gynaecologist with an interest in motorcycle mechanics at your disposal. I'd be screwed if I owned a Rebel !
Yes, Norman and Buddy are now officially "battery buddies", just like Buddy and Malcolm were a few weeks back ! 👍🏻
I am now considering preemptively replacing the RE battery on Norman, even though it is only just one year old. I appreciate that batteries age over time but when a fully charged battery can just spontaneously die like that, it's a bit of a concern.
I am fighting with myself, trying to convince myself that it's okay to spend money on a new battery that I don't yet actually "need". I think it will give me a bit more peace of mind next time I have to switch off Norman 😱
We'll see if I do the right thing or if my inherent tightness prevails ! 😂
Cheers Kevin,
Garry & Ruby & the crew
I always fold a small bit of cardboard under the non-captive nuts to lift them higher and also help hold them in place🙂 Glad you got it sorted 🙂
Thanks Pete. Also received that tip from a mechanic who watched the video !
You must be a proper engine👂
I was almost at the point where I was going to give up, go away and figure out some trick to get the nut to align. I was toying with the idea of Blu Tac or hot glue or something 🙂
And then, at the last attempt, the bugger went in.
Typical !!!! An hour of my life that I'll never get back !
🤬
@@economicalrides hahaha... they should make them magnetic or somit 😀
@@HippoDrones Or maybe do a proper job and just make two versions of the same battery, one with a tacked on threaded block for forward mounting and one with the threaded block turned back 90 degrees for top mounting. Designate the batteries
"Modelnumber-F" for front mounting threads and "Modelnumber-T'" for top mounting threads.
But no. That way it wouldn't take me an hour and a half to fit a new battery, so let's not do that ! 😂
Cheers Pete 🍺
Garry
Always satisfying to be able to fix it yourself. Like Hippo, I always put something under the nuts 👍🏼
Have you had to change Norman’s battery yet? That’s a squeeze too 😐
@@Saddlebags73 No, but I know what you mean. Under the seat, wedged between the frame rails. The terminals are not even easily accessible. Nightmare !
I am considering changing the battery as a precaution but the tightness in me says that it’s only just over a year old 😂😂😂
So you can fully expect me to have a similar failure in 18 months time, just with Norman, knowing myself as I do 😇 !
As ever, Ruby was a great help and made sure I did the job right 🐕
Looking forward to rabbits we are !!!
Love from Spain to you both from the two of us !
Have not had a issue with my pre-owned 2021 RE Meteor's battery... yet. But now you've got me nervous, lol. Safe Travels.
@@triketacular8093 I think you might be right to be nervous. Exeter Rider just told me that the battery on his second hand Meteor just died. Two years old I believe. It might be worth considering replacing yours before it gets a chance to die on you. Yours must be about the same age as mine was when it died. I didn’t mention it in the video but all of my bikes are on Optimate chargers, so three years was not really a good effort from the RE battery IMO.
I think you should definitely consider changing the battery now, if it is still the original RE one 👍🙂
But I get it. We’re all reluctant to replace anything that’s still working 😂
I’ll probably ride Norman until his battery dies too 🤦
But yes, if you are not as tight as I am, definitely consider changing it preemptively 👍
Cheers bud,
Garry
Yep it appears that is one of the places they saved a few bob on the build, but we can’t really complain we just have to factor it in to long term ownership, I plan to change mine at the two year mark so as not to be let down at a inconvenient time, lucky you were able to sort it out quickly Garry all the best buddy 👍
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
Evening Ruby and Garry 😊 well I have had my Classic for two and a half years now, so I better start saving. The Himalayan is just 2 years old. Oh dear me, getting the battery out of the Classic was a nightmare the Himalayan well no problems with her 😊 enjoyed this one Garry and happy new haircut Ruby xx
@@Ainsworth-Rider Hi James !
Norman is just over one year old but I am already considering preemptively changing his battery. We’ll see. I think that having a decent battery on there will give me added peace of mind when I’m up a mountain !
Ruby says thanks for the cuddle and “Yes, I do look smart and it’s cooler in the summer too Uncle James !”. 🐕
Top job Garry, Ruby, Buddy and Norman, I really enjoyed this video it's just so wrong being entertained by someone else's woes but I knew you and the gang would prevail! Brilliant! 😀👍
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 ❤🐕
Evening Garry blimey 2 years is that all, I’ve only just put one on my 13 year old Vespa, I use yuasa so down to motoculture tomorrow for a new one as the classic is 2 years old last month, glad you got buddy sorted thanks for the heads up 👍 thems in Normandie
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
Two years ago i bought a new Supernova and thirteen months later the battery started showing signs of weirdness so i replaced it.. Job done..
Yes. The OEM RE branded batteries have always had a bit of a reputation for not being great.
Getting a new battery from a brand you trust is always going to be a worthwhile upgrade for any RE owner IMO. I am now looking into replacing the battery on my Himalayan, which is currently still fine, just to be on the safe side and to avoid future hassles 👍🏻
Cheers T-F
Garry
you make me think i should have made a video this morning, i went out three days ago and used the truck and the back window regulator went which means the window goes down inside the door. trash bag for three days and got the part via ebay. installed it this morning. it seems that the regulators go about every 4 years or so. but they are only 35 dollars and about an hour and a half to install. but i have 4 windows... any ways, great unexpected video as you changed gears and kept filming! that is talent sir. i am happy to see that it was done in a day which is why we do our filming in the early morning, so its not that hot and if something goes wrong, we have time to figure out the fix. i pat you on the back!
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 ! 😂
Good to know , thank you. Thanks to Ruby too !
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 🥰
i truly love watching Economical Rides videos, and i would love to watch more of them. i even dream of ER videos.... wait that Exeter Rider... sorry, got it confused.
@@BlakesPipes 😂😂😂👍
Good man ! 🙂
Sorry to see you had a problem with Buddy but glad it is all sorted now, even though it took a while.
I went for a ride with my mate last week and his battery died, when we stopped for a drink. He had to be recovered and bought a new battery a couple of days later. It cost £94 😲. I've bought bikes for a similar price, albeit many years ago 😅
Love to Ruby from me and from Willow
Cheers Garry
Dave & Willow 🐶
Hi Dave,
yes, I've had it happen to me a few times in 40 years of biking, that the battery dies as soon as you shut the engine down and current stops flowing through it. It's one of the reasons why Itchy Boots gives me heart attacks. She is in the middle of nowhere and shuts the engine off for barely a minute and then sets off again. Seems like an unnecessary invitation to get stranded with a dead battery every time she does that. But I suppose she will have a starter pack with her, otherwise she would be much better off to just leave the bike running in those situations !
I've had at least three batteries die when I switched the engine off, possibly four. And back then nobody had a starter pack with them 😂
94 quid is pretty expensive for a battery, presumably it was something a bit flash. For a bog standard lead acid battery in the appropriate size, I thought that 40 EUR was borderline expensive. 30 EUR feels about right to me but in that situation I was just desperate to get it sorted the same day, so no chance to shop around.
Take care you two. Ruby was inspired by Willow to help her Dad with the spannering btw. !!!
"Pass me a 10 mil Willers ! Nice one !" 🐕
I'm glad you got it going again with a bit of help. I have only recently been thinking that my 2021 bike that only had 900 miles on it perhaps could do with a new one, that low milage for a bike thats been sat around.
Norman saved the day, I must admit, breaking down in France is far from ideal,but I guess you know the lingo which makes things a lot easier.
Alls well that ends well matey
Dubys haircut looks proper smart
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 🐕
It’s amazing how the batteries last the same time the warranty runs out. All part of the plan from the manufactures I guess 🤔
Great video as usual mate , Buddy sends his love to Ruby
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 🙂👍🏻
Gee, things happen, at the most inconvenient times, I guess. So glad you got it sorted out, just faff of awaiting for the breakdown and then fitting a new better quality item.
As Mike says in a post here. I might look at replacing it at 2 years old.
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 ❤🐕
My Meteor battery failed after only 9 months. The new Exide battery has faired much better at 2 years old. I also use a battery tender as recommended by yourself. My Meteor is nearly 3 years old and has done 24,000klms. Apart from the required services, I've only had to replace the battery, tyres and chain. I've basically had 3 years of trouble free riding. Can't praise Royal Enfield enough. Fantastic value for money.
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
I had the same issue. Mine gave out after only 1.5 years. Mine wasn't covered under warranty. I installed a Yuasa battery and haven't had any issues since.
Hi there,
yes, I suspected that RE don't include the battery under any kind of warranty, most manufacturers don't.
Yuasa make great long lasting batteries but they are hard to get hold of where I am, so I have to make do with whatever the parts shop has.
The batteries RE uses are renowned for not lasting very long, so I imagine that ANY other battery is going to at least be an improvement !
Cheers sir,
Garry
In june i did buy a Gel battery also for 40€. but had to pay 7.5€ deposit.
you are lucky to have Norman helping out 👍
Cheers Ruby & 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
Hey Garry, sorry for your troubles. The battery on my Meteor gave up the ghost at the beginning of this year...after only two years 🙄 Last week I noticed the LED headlamp ring has stopped working. Not a big deal but I plan on stopping by my RE dealer this week and have them take a look at it as the bike is still under warranty. Cheers, Glenn
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
Well done Gary . three years is perhaps not bad for a battery of that quality . the Exide should do it . see you next time and love to Ruby .
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 ❤🐕
@@economicalrides thanks Gary , you were right . i didnt realise you kept it optimated . see you next week .
@@johnbellamy6449 Working on Tuesday's video as we speak John. Need to film Ruby eating another sossidge later on 🥰
Take care John and enjoy your weekend !
Garry
Ruby deserved that sossidge after all that! And you deserve a nice cold drink for you perseverance! I thought 3 years with a battery was ok but I don't know how long they should last.
I'm going nowhere fast at the moment as the heal and toe gear shifter I ordered was the wrong size. It's too big for the Classic 350 so I presume as with Warro it's for the 500 Classic which he had a spare of. I received the 350 one today from Hitchcock's so I can get that done tomorrow.
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 ! ❤🐕
At least you got a decent brand in Exide , but should last 3 years . A Trickle charger does extend their life
Hi Alistair,
yes, I've always had all of my bikes hooked up to maintenance chargers, which is why I thought that 3 years for the RE battery was quite poor. Just about any battery will last 5 years if you can keep it topped up. I've even had batteries last 11 years on the maintenance charger ! But yes, I think the EXIDE will probably be okay for another 5 years if I look after it.
The greatest relief was finding the correct battery in stock in the only car parts place for miles. I was keen to get the whole kerfuffle sorted the same day and not end up ruining two or more days. So I was lucky in that respect. It was all fixed by just after lunchtime in the end !
If I can overcome my inherent reluctance to spend money, I might now buy an EXIDE battery for Norman, just to be on the safer side with him !
Cheers Alistair,
Garry
I bought a RE Meteor 350 after watching your video and had nothing but problems. Certainly not your fault by any means ! Had the exact same issue as this just a week after collection. After that, the speedo fogged up completely and was unreadable, then it developed a horrendous oil leak from its sump (turns out the drain plug wasn't screwed in properly). To top it all off, I was on a Sunday ride, and the front wheel began to judder violently, managed to pull up and get it transported to my mechanic. The nut and bolt that held the wheel on had shaken itself loose. Maybe I just got a Dud bike, but I've had two friends have similar problems to me. I've since returned the bike to the dealer. I purchased it off. Traded it in and got myself a Honda Rebel 500, which works perfectly and is built like a tank. All I'd say with Royal Enfield is be bloody careful. They are trying to make out they aren't unreliable anymore, but from my experience, they still are. Cheap parts, shoddy production, and an overall lack of quality. Granted, they are cheap but cheap, but they shouldn't mean unsafe. For reference, my RE meteor 350 was brand new and had just 3 miles on it.
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
Nice that you could get a battery locally, Everything tends to have to be 'ordered' from bike shops/motor factors in my area so it's just as easy to turn to the internet. So, R/Es modernized to the point of not having a kickstart anymore? Pity, you'd probably have been right on your way, albeit with a bit of a grumble 🙂 Cheers Gary 👍 ( Tell Ruby that she looks resplendent with her groom) 😉
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
My Meteor's original battery expired at about the same time span. One clue it was on the way out was that the clock in the speedo display would not keep the correct time. Had to keep resetting it after the engine had not been started for a day or two. Took the hint and did the battery change before I got stuck somewhere. Another clue is that with a multimeter the retained battery charge is less than 12.5V. 12.7V seems to be 100% charge.
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
One of the few complaints I have about my Meteor 350 is that it doesn't have a kickstarter - and I'd imagine it's your complaint now.
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
hey er i finally swapped the 350 for the 650 and tbh its what i needed, will be touring with the missus on this one!
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
@@economicalrides i'm still part of the enfield family, i'll always absolutely adore the meteor 350!! its such an amazing bike for no money at all, and i'll always recommend it to people and i'll always keep coming here mate! Enfields are such amazing bikes right now for the right price and actual heritage!!!
@@BelgianDoomer That's great to hear BD. I feel the same way. Should I ever sell Buddy, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Meteor to anybody ! Such a great package at a really reasonable price. And the fuel economy of course ! Amazing !
Thanks BD, glad to hear that you are going to stick around because you have been here since the beginning ( ouch, I apologise for those early videos ! ) 👍🏻🙂
Take care, have fun and let me know how your first two up tour goes !
Al the best,
Garry & Ruby
Hallo Garry, das Phänomen mit den kaputten Batterien tritt immer auf wenn man es nicht gebrauchen kann, es ist aber schön das Buddy wieder läuft.
LG Stephan, Doro & Ramses
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
Well, that's a coincidence, as I broke down on Sunday in somewhat more dramatic circumstances as it was at a very bleak location on Bodmin Moor. Unlike your recovery guy, I wasn't offered the battery pack. And it all had a very unfortunate ending later that night and then the next day. That's for the full vlog which will be out at some point, however I have some negotiating to do with the MD of BSA UK tomorrow. Also, my battery only lasted 5months and I was charged considerably more than 40 Euros for the replacement. Short vid should be out tomorrow some point. On the positive side (if there is one) I've got a good Battery in there now and BSA batteries are located in a sensible position.
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
Good result to get the bike sorted within the day. I thought 40 euros for the battery was a fair price.
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
You didn't want to push Buddy home then 😂😂😂
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
Did you put the new battery on charge before fitting? As there rarely charged up fully!
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
Three years? You're lucky. The battery on my Scram died after less than a year. Otherwise, though, the bike is great.
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
Nice video, don't stress about it. All that reminds me for my first bike, an old Kawasaki KZ 250C. The bike was with dead battery but poor young lad me did not buy a battery, oh no.. That is too much of the petrol and beer money. So, I use to bump start it every morning for a whole summer. 😂😂 .. Also had factory installed automatic chain oiler system. The output shaft seal was gone bad and leaked engine oil to the chain while riding. 🤣🤣🤣
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
Does Buddy have a battery tender? The previous owner of Sunny, my Meteor, had one installed. I just plug Sunny up after I have him parked for the night
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
all good fun 😁😁
😧
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
Hi Gary. Do you keep you bikes on tenders while you are not riding. Al. Three of my bikes live on tenders when parked. Never had a battery problem yet. Touch wood. Optimate is the brand most popular in Canada. They are connected all winter and summer long. Charging systems on bikes are poor at best so keeping the battery on a tender I feel is the only way to go. Cheers.
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
Hey mate...yout Meteor looks....quite new! How many Km ? Mine is a February 22 with 45.000 kmperfect bikeby now battery is still ok. Usingonly Week enf and sleeping in my garage. ;-) Have fun buddy
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 🐕
For the annoying nuts I use a piece of paper folded to temporarily hold them in place, it makes the job easier specially when the supplied screws are short. Saludos
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
You can push start them .......they will fire up as soon as the engines spinning fast enough to produce volts to run the injection and fuel pump.
My battery lasted 3 weeks, and its not covered under RE warranty, you have to claim off the manufacturers in India.
Hi Matty.
Yes I figured as much but where I was was extremely flat and it was also a busy main road. I didn't think that trying to push start the bike was worth getting killed for and I have roadside recovery which I pay for and previously have never used. It took an hour for the guy to arrive but with the starter pack Buddy fired up right away and I could set off home.
Good to know that if it should ever happen at the top of a steep hill, I have a chance of saving myself an hour's wait next time though. Never tried it and wasn't sure if the pump would fire up but I suppose it makes sense that it would, since I was effectively riding the bike all the way home without a battery, because it seemed to have died completely, hence the ECU warning.
I don't think any motorcycle manufacturer allows warranty on batteries, so no surprise there. I don't think 3 years was all that great, considering that Buddy has been on an Optimate maintenance charger from day one, but clearly these OEM batteries are a bit rubbish, I've heard that from various sources.
Did you go to the trouble of claiming from the battery manufacturer or did you just shrug, save yourself the hassle and go out and buy a decent replacement ? I think that's what I'd do. There is only so much grief that I am prepared to go through for the sake of €40 and it's not a lot !
Cheers Matty 👍🏻
Have a great weekend !
Garry
@economicalrides I shrugged my shoulders, called the dealer rubbish names ( their service is crap, and it's only them, other RE dealers are great to deal with)
Fitted a yuasa and mines on a maintainer and has been since day 1 as I have additional things that have insidious low current standby like dash cam , GPS tracker etc. The factory battery is a known weak point, I'm amazed your one lasted as long as it did. Mines on the bench still holding a charge but only makes 80 amps cranking instead of the required 150 CCA
@@mattyb7736 👍 I’d love a Yuasa battery but a bit hard to find here locally and I was in a hurry to get Buddy going again.
You were certainly unlucky to have your OEM battery die so quickly but you went about solving it as I would 👍
Much as RE are slowly moving over to Showa suspension rather than no-name stuff, if they want to improve their quality a bit more for no real effort they should bin the Indian brand batteries and fit Yuasa from the factory.
That would be a smart move, even if it did make the bikes 20 quid more expensive !
Having new bikes with batteries dying in the first few months is not a good look !
Thanks Matty and glad you got it sorted.
I think that I will try to source a Yuasa for the Himalayan before its battery has a chance to die on me !!!
Cheers 🍺🍺
Garry
Does this bike come with the cick starter ???
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.
Run and bump start ??!!
Hi. I assessed the probability of that working to be quite low. With an EFI bike, if the battery is so dead that it doesn't fire up the fuel pump ( like here ) you probably need a longish slope or outside assistance to get everything to fire up and eventually for the engine to start. Unfortunately. where it happened, the road was very busy and very flat, so I didn't see much hope of me being able to bump start it safely on my own. If I had been at the top of a hill on a less busy road, I would have given it a try, of course.
Besides, I have roadside assistance insurance which I have been paying for but never using.
I finally got some use out of it 🙂
Cheers,
ER
I think you could come up with another name for it.
Thanks but he has been Buddy for over three years now. I can't change his name now and besides, we both like it 🙂
I guess my three year old battery will also die soon as I have to charge it after having the bike sitting for a time as it won't start otherwise. No other bike had this issue in such a short time after production. So the RE OEM battery is just utter cr*p. Three years is nothing for a quality battery. Such a waste and negative impact on the environment.
What size/specification is right for a replacment of the battery in the Meteor?
I wrote a long reply but then TH-cam just swallowed it 🤬
All manufacturers use different codes for naming their batteries, so I can't give you a part number or anything. Best to do what I did and take the old one to a car parts shop and they will find something with the same form factor and terminal orientation and output.
If you want to order online, just Google 'Meteor 350 replacement battery' and you should find a fair few suitable batteries. Then just go with a brand you trust.
I agree. If you are going to burn through the earth's resources building batteries, at least use them to build the best batteries that you can and not some "that'll do for six months" cheap rubbish !
When the battery dies completely, like mine did, you can still bump start the Meteor but you will probably need a long downhill run because you will have to generate enough electricity to fire up the fuel pump before anything else can happen.
So when the battery is completely dead, it is harder work bump starting an EFI engine but apparently not impossible. I didn't bother trying because where I broke down was flat and the road was very busy. It wasn't worth dying for and I have roadside recovery insurance which I normally never get to use !
If you still have the RE branded battery on your bike, then yes, I would recommend replacing it asap, as I will now do with the battery on my Himalayan.
Good luck with it 👍
Garry
Pray tell how many klicks (km) Sire
My batt needed replacing at 28,000 km ish, brake pads @ 27,000 , chain n sprocket @ 30,000 km , though that probably my fault. I ran it with with a loose chain for 10k + 🤡
*Plough* 🎉
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