Since I was out of action for almost 2 months, I was itching to go on a ride. Pre monsoon showers had begun about couple of weeks ago and the temperatures finally dropped.
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Update: Accessories, DIY Customizations, and pre-monsoon rides.
It has been 2 months since the last update. In March and the first half of April, the bike did not see much running owing to a personal injury. Also due to the heatwave at the time, I did not venture onto any rides. However, I have not been idle during this time, looking at potential modifications/DIY stuff for the Bike.
Here are the updates to date.
- RC Card -This was delayed multiple times owing to Keerthi Triumph not uploading my HSRP pics onto the Vaahan portal. Originally I had shared the pictures on 10th Jan to the Keerthi Backoffice folks who had called me for the same. However, after a month there was no update and the portal did not show any dispatch update as well for my application. In late March I get another call from the Keerthi back office, again asking for the same pictures of the HSRP and the VIN. No point in getting frustrated, I shared the pictures again. This time they seem to have actually uploaded the pictures, and got the SMS confirmation within a week followed by RC dispatch in early April. Got the RC card via post on April 10th finally. So if anybody’s RC card dispatch is still pending make sure to check the status in the Vaahan portal and follow up with the dealer.
- Accessories – Got the last of the missing accessories that I needed.The lower engine guard and the quilted seats. The bike feels complete now and my pockets empty.Quilted seats are much more flat than the stock seats and are especially comfortable to shift around on those long hours of touring.
DIY mods – Brakes, Mirrors, Adjustable Levers, Grips & Easy clutch
Brakes
The organic brake pads were not to my liking. They do the job in city rides but for our highways, it felt underwhelming and I had a couple of close calls with livestock during one of the rides. So decided to get the Speed 400 sintered pads. However the service center had no stock at the time, and no tentative date as well. I think they were not willing to sell the brake pads over the counter imo and just made up for some reason.
After this, some time passed, and saw a couple of videos on YT on Galfar offering sintered brake pads for the 400X. The prices were a bit cheaper than the Brembo brake pads being offered for the speed 400 hence I said “Why not?”
Confirmed the actual brake pads and part numbers from the seller baycitypowerparts and placed an order.
Part numbers for anyone wanting to check them out.
- Front – FD450G1370
- Rear – FD165G1371
Total cost – 5998
Since I was still nursing an injury could not swap the pads myself, took it to a local mechanic and did the swap. Takes a few kms to bed in properly but the braking is spot on and perfect for shedding speed quickly. No unnecessary lockups so far with either the front or rear. What stands out for me is on the open roads this feels way better than the stick pads in every way. Much more confidence inspiring to carry more speed when needed without needing to worry much about the stopping prowess of the bike.
Money well spent.
A closer look at the stock brake pads, the one on the left was from the front at 3k+ kms only. Almost half worn.
Mirrors
I’ve been experiencing issues with the stock mirrors on the bike and have been looking for some advice on replacements. The current mirrors are not meeting my needs for a few reasons:
- Poor Visibility: The visibility offered by the stock mirrors is quite lackluster. They don’t provide a wide enough field of view, making it challenging to see vehicles approaching from behind, especially in blind spots.
- Vibration Issues: After 4500 RPM and above, the mirrors start to vibrate. This vibration blurs the reflection, making it almost impossible to get a clear view of what’s behind me, which is quite dangerous when riding at higher speeds.
- Loose Mirrors: Despite applying Loctite, the mirrors tend to come loose frequently. This constant need for readjustment was getting annoying.
Given these issues, I went in search of recommendations for aftermarket mirrors that offer better visibility, remain stable at higher RPMs, and stay securely in place without constant adjustments.
Took a look at two of them KTM Adv 390 mirrors and the Dominar 400 mirrors. Unfortunately, KTM refused to sell theirs over the counter, and could not find any reliable source online to procure them as well. Dominar 400 mirrors were easily available, local service center did not have all the parts readily available and said it would take about a week to procure them. When I say parts there is a difference in size between the mirror holders. The Triumph ones are M10x1.25 and for the Dominar it is M8x1.25.
So the mirror holder would need to be swapped on the right and on the left-hand side it was the mirror holder along with the clutch yoke.
Since I had the part numbers from the service center I searched for them online and got an order going on 99RPM, which seems to be a genuine source for procuring bajaj spares for all vehicles.
The order was delivered in a couple of days and quick DIY on the right-hand side to fit the mirrors, which was the easiest part.
However, when I moved to the left-hand side, I had to remove the grips, light switch assembly, and clutch yoke and then slide in the new mirror holder. Which was easier said than done.
I made a mistake while removing the gripper and damaged it irreversibly, for those wanting to try I would suggest 2 flathead screwdrivers and a heat gun. Me being a moron used a sharp blade to cut through the glue. Could have just procured a replacement grip but I thought better of it and got the barkbuster grips from bigbadbikes during their sale along with a few other gear. These are pricey but are proper rubber with none of that plasticky feeling, this in turn had a positive effect in managing vibes from the handlebar imo.
Anyways with a goof up, I gained something else in return. Learn from your mistakes.
Since I was not riding the bike, there was no issue in waiting to procure additional parts, so while I was waiting for the grips removed the switch assembly and the clutch yoke to be replaced with the ones procured which had no issue with fitment either with the Triumph levers or even the adjustable KTM levers. Once that was done slid the switch assembly back in and then got the barkbuster grips, and used some CPVC glue to keep em in place. Again no issues installing them. They are about 2-4 mm smaller than the stock grips on the left-hand side. Job well done. Had to get on a few rides to the office and the highways to get the proper alignment.
The mirrors are great, and very stable, can’t fiddle with them easily. They offer a wider vision, useful especially when filtering through traffic or for overtakes on highways.
Vibes are better contained. And it does not look out of place to me.
Part numbers if anybody is interested.
- 1 x Mirror Rh| JF231609
- 2 x Washer Conical-Id8.2Xod15Xt2Xblk| LDH00016
- 2 x Washer-Kda-Od/Id/Thk-16/8.5/1.2| KDAA0816
- 2 x Bolt Socket-M8X1.25Xl 25Xblack| LAC00141
- 1 x Mirror Lh| JF231608
- 1 x Fr Clamp Kit| 36JF0185
- 1 x Holder Lever Lh| JF161014
I like that it doesn’t ruin the looks of the bike, not sure if KTM mirrors would have had the same impression.
Super soft grips
Adjustable Levers
With the grip puppies installed already my finger reach was kinda hampered slightly, the lever adjustment is a luxury that I prefer to have.Got some KTM adjustable levers for brake and clutch. This is an easy DIY. After the failed attempt at procuring the KTM Adv mirrors I had one of my friends pick these up during his routine service as spares from a KTM service center. Again this is a direct fit and no issues at all to date.I did not note down the part numbers for this one but I think it’s available to buy online as well so should be easy to procure.
Finally the Pro Spec Easy clutch
I had the prototype for a few days and received word from them earlier this month that the cables had arrived. Went in for the installation, and tried a couple of different routing options. The OEM clutch cable routing was good but the easy clutch unit which sits at the engine fins on the left-hand side would graze it every time I turned right. So we routed it outside in a small gap between where the engine guards bolt onto the frame which seemed perfect. The OEM cable guide was too thin for the new cable hence we used a zip tie to keep it in place.
Also not sure if this was just me, but the OEM cable was damaged due to the cable guide being too tight and the cable sleeve kinda of ripped off. The service center loosened the guide a bit to allow some play and rolled over a bit of electrical tape around the cable where the sleeve was damaged stating it was not much damage even after me giving them the go-ahead to replace it since it barely costs anything.I was aware that I would get another cable anyhow for the easy clutch so it was just a stopgap for me and I did not make a fuss about it.
Pre Monsoon Ride – Shettihalli, Hemavati backwaters
Since I was out of action for almost 2 months, I was itching to go on a ride. Pre-monsoon showers had begun about a couple of weeks ago and the temperatures finally dropped.
Meanwhile, I had procured some gear from Europe while my brother was travelling. Was looking forward to testing them as well.
Route taken onwards: Bengaluru – Nelamangala – Yediyur- Channarayapatna – Devihalli – Hosahalli – Kabbatti – Madihalli – Shettihalli church
maps.app.goo.gl/tHJDuWPPJLKeW1Si8
A snap of the deviation taken from the highway, highly recommend it.
The weather was just perfect, left home at 5.45 AM. It had been raining the last night and by sunrise, it was all cloudy and not a ray of direct sunlight which made it perfect riding conditions. The tarmac was not too wet.
Riding on the highway until Yadiyur was pleasant but boring. Took a deviation just before Shantigrama, I was a little skeptical about taking the B roads after the rains. But it was well worth it. These are single lanes and sometimes half a lane. Early morning village is the best, people out and about a lot of livestock, and the roads were a mixed bag. It was great for a few kms, nonexistent for a few, and then half-broken for a few more. The Scramblers suspension came into play here, never been more comfortable on the ride. Since it was an unconventional route, there were no other riders for company, I was all by myself and at my own pace just having a fun and relaxed morning. At the halfway mark there is a very small offroad trail leading to an even smaller temple at the top. It was closed but B road explorations sometimes lead you to unknown places. For those interested I’ve marked the route taken.
At the destination things were a bit busy couple of cars were parked already and another group of BMW riders were just wrapping up. Fast forward 15 minutes and I was all alone, spent some time at the church and then moved along to some trails around the area, the bridge for the view, and the gorur dam. Spent the better part of the morning there.
Started the journey back home at 11:30 AM. Stopped at Swati delicacy for lunch, the ride was fun in the morning so did not stop for breakfast. Was back at the Gorguntepalya People Tree Hosp signal by 2:30, however, there was a massive jam, and was stuck there for almost 25 mins. Well, something had to give on a perfect day I guess. I was home in another 15 minutes and it was a day well spent and ready for a longer ride next month.
Some parting shots
ODO: 4900
Mileage on the ride: 28 Kmpl
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