The motorcycle should be a bit more capable than the rider otherwise the joy is lost on highway rides.
BHPian masterChief007 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Still oil leak from the gearbox is seen. Have to get it checked by some other garage now.
Did a NH44 400 km round trip as another trial run. This time it was a bit disappointing, nevertheless I enjoyed my ride. I have to tinker with the carb setting as the bike doesn’t pick up very well after 65 kmph. I have to open the throttle fully to reach 80+ kph and around 85% to reach 75 kph which is not at all satisfactory on highways (all GPS readings).
Was shocked to see the GPS vs speedometer difference (around 8-10 kph difference with speedo overestimating the speed). Needs speedo replacement, as the needle stops at 60 kph sharp.
Following were the observations (all speeds are w.r.t GPS readings):
- Pickup till 55 kph is decent. Bike wants to settle at 65 kph and struggles to retain 75 kph. Needs special attention to the accelerator at 80kph+ speeds.
- Tried to maintain 71-73 kph, but needs constant inputs from the accelerator to be there. In over-bridges etc speed falls down to 63-66 kph (is the carb setting lean? I have to check it out)
- Seems inadequate for the highways in the long run, mostly will use it as a city bike till I decide on the KTM 390 Adv vs Interceptor 650 dilemma.
- Good for rides till 300-350 kms as beyond that it eats away at my patience, the bike should be a bit more capable than the rider otherwise the joy is lost on highway rides.
Didn’t have any other niggles, for which I am glad. Will tinker with the carb, lube chains, fix the speedo, and get the gearbox oil leakage looked at. Mostly the oil-to-grease ratio might be off causing this leakage. If things don’t improve on my next ride. I will start scouting for a tourer in my garage and this will become my city bike.
My gears
- Helmet LS2 ff350 – needs upgrade/replacement now (missing the new helmet smell and fit)
- DSG Nero, Rynox advento, Rynox Storm evo 3 gloves, Orazo boots – all good/new but might need a new jacket once I get my tourer bike.
- Bobo mobile holder – quite sturdy and has good grip, had to get foam tape outside as my handlebar is a bit too thin for the accompanying rubber tape for a tight grip.
Started at 6 am sharp and ended at around 2.15 pm for a 400km to and fro run. Rode with a base layer for the legs and it was a much better experience. Orazo boots are also decent, however, since it’s a bit thick have to articulate the feet a bit more to shift gears. DSG nero, crmaster saddles are the old workhorses from my earlier days and going well.
So many superbikes were overtaking, there must be a few BHPians amongst them. Helmet was letting in too much noise from the engine thump. Have to get a new helmet if I want to be able to hear bird songs.
Somewhere between bagepalli & penukonda:
Cube stop during return, as usual, ordered thumbs up, tea and coffee:
Keyword: Taking my old cast iron Bullet on a 400 km road trip: My 4 observations