Oct 30, 2006 05:15 PM
6121 Views
(Updated Jan 09, 2007 01:37 PM)
This is the 3rd update and I hae now completed 2 services and 3100 KM on the bike.
First of all let me tell you all the way to get rid of the Cold Start jerk which is very predominant during the first couple of months of usage of the bike. To avoid it ensure that you use the clutch a few times while warming up the bike after starting it for the first time. I press the clutch at least four or five times fully and twice to thrice partially with a very gentle twist to the throttle.
As always I am getting a healthy in city mileage of 61-65 KMPL in city. The ideal runnign speed for the bike is on 5th gear at 55-60 KMH where I find its engine to be very silent. 40 KMH on 4th gear is also good but you would always be on the brink to snap into 5th gear at 45-50 KMH. I have now touched the coveted 80KMH mark on my bike once and let me tell you there wer 0.000000 vibrations felt by me. The bike is unbelievably smooth for a 125cc Engine running at that speed. It also never makes you feel ungainly or flighted at that speed as it is the heaviest bike in the segment. You never lose control on the Gladiator.
As after the first service the bike feels much smoother after the second. The bike is also very smooth and balanced and I have now practised some real slow driving for traffic on the bike. The idle time of the bike is really tuned nicely and after starting teh bike one can shift into first and push off without rolling the throttle and just leaving the clutch. By leaving the clutch fully and no twist of the throttle you would be ideally able to go at walking speeds and sometimes even slower if you meet a person who walks fast. Practiced well this will make you an excellent driver in heavy traffic conditions.
The handling capability of the bike is particularly exuberant and I took a very sharp low left turn once and was surprised that a 125 cc bike was capable of this. While taking the turn I was always prepared to get my leg down if the bike falls but it was really well balanced and pulled up effortlessly.
I use the horn very badly and am very harsh on it and the switch had got weak and did not work consistenly. When I took it to dealer he just tightened some wire near the horn and it started to work properly again and I think it got a bit louder too. Again after two months I faced the same problem and had to get it repaired by the local mechanic.
As mentioned a nut on the exhaust cover has rusted and has been covered with grease by me ... There is not other sign of rust though Chennai weather is really bad on bikes I think.
The company has supposedly launched the bike with alloy wheels and I highly recommend the same but alloys may lead to a fall in mileage due to the increased weight. An all black JA Type has been launched but is not so much Value for Money condsidering tha significantly higher price tag it carries just for an odd paint job by world's leading bike manufacturer. The bike is 2000 Rs. more expensive than a DLX alloyed Gladiator and it is hard to digest that a factory paint job and a stickering with clear glass indicators would cost that much extra. 1500 more would have been worth it and 1000 more would be the best balance.
